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A Member  of  the  Official  Class. 


Every-Day  Life  in  Korea 


A Collection  of 
Studies  and  Stories 


By  Rev.  Daniel  L.  Gifford 

Eight  Years  a Missionary  in  Korea 


library  of  PRINCETON 

JAN  1 6 2008 

theological  seminary 


CHICAGO 

Student  Missionary  Campaign  Library 

57  Washington  Striet 


Copyright,  i8q8,  by  Fleming  H.  Revell  Compan' 


PREFACE 


The  author  has  had  in  mind  a number  of  classes 
of  readers  in  the  preparation  of  this  book ; among 
others,  business  men,  fond  of  facts  in  a compact 
form,  ladies  in  the  missionary  societies,  ever  alert 
to  add  to  their  fund  of  missionary  information,  and 
another  class  still,  found  in  the  young  people’s 
societies,  who  enjoy  information  presented  in  a 
pictorial  or  narrative  form.  We  all  are  fond  of 
hearing  of  things  that  have  a human  interest; 
and  we  like  to  know  how  other  people  live  their 
lives  and  do  their  work  in  the  world,  especially  if 
their  experiences  and  environments  are  quite  dif- 
ferent from  our  own.  The  pages  that  follow  may 
be  characterized,  in  the  main,  as  a series  of 
pictures  of  life  in  Korea — life  in  the  olden  time, 
as  history  has  presented  it;  modern,  every-day 
life,  as  the  Westerner  living  among  an  Oriental 
people  sees  it ; life  as  it  is  affected  by  the  work  of 
the  Christian  missionary;  and,  finally,  the  life  of 
the  missionary  himself.  The  author  acknowledges 
his  indebtedness  for  much  of  suggestion  and 
material  to  the  writings  of  others  who  have  dealt 
with  things  Korean — “Corea,  the  Hermit  Nation,  ’ ’ 
by  Rev.  W.  E.  Griffis,  D.D. ; “Korea  from  its 
Capital,  ’ ’ by  Rev.  George  W.  Gilmore ; ‘ ‘ Korea 
and  her  Neighbors,  ’ ’ by  Mrs.  Isabella  Bird  Bishop ; 

7 


8 


PREFACE 


the  “Encyclopedia  of  Missions;’’  the  “Seoul  In- 
dependent;’’ the  “Korean  Repository.’’ 

In  one  respect,  however,  this  book  will  be  ob- 
served to  differ  from  all  the  other  volumes  upon 
Korea  that  have  preceded  it,  and  that  is  in  the 
proportion  of  its  pages  devoted  to  a presentation 
of  the  missionary  work  of  the  land.  Here  it  will 
be  found  that  the  work  has  been  traced  historic- 
ally from  its  beginnings,  its  many-sided  develop- 
ment fully  portrayed,  with  a chapter  at  the  close 
on  that  glorious,  evangelistic,  forward  movement 
now  in  progress  in  the  country,  the  spread  of 
which  continually  reminds  the  workers  on  the 
field  that  in  a very  peculiar  manner  they  are 
“laborers  together  with  God.’’ 

DANIEL  L.  GIFFORD. 

Mendota,  III.,  Nov.,  1897. 


CONTENTS. 


I. 

Where  Is  Korea?  . . . • 

PAGE 

II. 

A Historical  Vitascope,  . . . . 

24 

III. 

How  the  People  Live, 

46 

IV. 

A Wedding  in  Korea,  . . . . 

70 

V. 

Guilds  and  Other  Associations, 

76 

VI. 

Ancestral  Worship  as  Practiced  in  Korea, 

88 

VII. 

A Visit  to  a Famous  Mountain, 

99 

VIII. 

The  Fear  of  Demons,  . . . . 

106 

IX. 

An  Adventure  on  the  Han  River,  . 

118 

X. 

Leaves  of  Mission  History,  . . 

128 

XI. 

Missionary  Life  and  Work, 

136 

XII. 

What  the  Gospel  Did  for  One  Man, 

163 

XIII. 

Education  in  the  Capital, 

170 

XIV. 

Building  of  the  West  Gate  Church, 

>95 

XV. 

A Remarkable  Forward  Movement, 

207 

Appendix  A,  . . . 

230 

Appendix  B,  . • 

231 

Every-day  Life  in  Korea 


CHAPTER  I 

WHERE  IS  KOREA? 

A friend  and  myself,  returning  to  America  after 
our  first  term  of  missionary  service  in  Korea,  sat 
one  Saturday  evening  in  the  office  of  a hotel  in 
Salt  Lake  City.  In  signing  the  hotel  register  an 
hour  previous,  we  had  each  of  us  written  in  the 
column  intended  for  addresses,  simply  the  word 
designating  the  country  from  which  we  had  so 
recently  arrived.  A thoughtful  look  came  over 
my  companion’s  face,  and  presently  he  remarked 
as  we  sat  there : “I  think  we  made  a mistake  in 
signing  that  hotel  register.  The  clerk  will  not 
know  where  Korea  is;  will  think  that  we  have 
given  a false  address  and  will  become  suspicious 
of  us,  under  the  impression  that  we  are  trying  to 
swindle  the  hotel.  ” A moment  later  I glanced 
toward  the  desk  and,  sure  enough,  the  fore- 
finger of  the  clerk  was  gently  waving  to  and 
fro  unmistakably  in  our  direction.  A moment 
later  I stood  at  the  desk.  “Korea,  Korea”  (in  a 

u 


12 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


tone  of  soliloquy),  “where  is  Korea?”  I 
answered,  “You  surely  must  know  where  Korea 
is — the  scene  of  the  late  war  in  the  Far  East.” 
“Oh,”  was  his  reply,  “I  never  before  saw  it 
spelled  with  a K.”  He  smiled,  and  evidently  his 
mind  was  relieved.  Allow  me  to  remark,  paren- 
thetically, that  the  up-to-date  spelling  of  the 
name  of  the  country,  followed  by  all  who  reside 
there,  is  K-o-r-e-a,  with  a “K.  ” With  all  the 
gratuitous  advertising  given  the  country  by  the 
comparatively  recent  Chino-Japanese  war,  it  is  a 
matter  of  surprise  that  so  many  people  at  home 
persist  in  thinking  of  Korea  as  an  “island”  located 
somewhere  “in  the  tropics.”  In  view  of  this 
fact  a brief  study  of  the  geography  of  the  country 
may  not  be  out  of  place  in  this  opening  chapter. 

Directly  west  from  the  crescent-shaped  Hondo, 
the  largest  of  the  islands  of  Japan,  lies  the  long 
and  narrow  peninsula  of  Korea.  With  no  very 
great  strain  upon  the  imagination  one  may  see,  in 
the  contour  of  the  country,  the  resemblance  to  a 
rabbit  sitting  erect.  If,  too,  we  may  take  for  our 
conception  of  the  modest  little  animal,  Joel 
Chandler  Harris’ portrait  of  “Br’er  Rabbit,”  in 
his  fascinating  animal  tales,  the  analogy  may 
likewise  hold  true  of  the  character  of  the  people, 
who,  in  the  main,  are  mild-mannered,  interesting, 
keen  of  intellect  and  bright,  especially  in  the 
arts  of  deception.  “Br’er  Rabbit  he  lay  low.”  ^ 

Draw  a line  from  Milwaukee  to  Atlanta,  and 
you  have  about  the  range  of  the  latitude  of  the 


WHERE  IS  KOREA? 


13 


country;  viz.,  from  about  34  to  43  degrees  north 
latitude.  But  as  the  far  north  of  the  country  is 
prodigiously  mountainous  and  but  little  popu- 
lated, it  is  well  to  associate  the  relative  position  of 
Korea  on  the  map  with  the  Ohio  valley,  plus 
Tennessee.  Seoul  (pronounced  by  many  Sah- 
oul),  the  capital,  in  every  way  the  most  important 
city  of  the  peninsula,  containing  perhaps  200,000 
people,  is  in  the  same  latitude,  as  Mr.  Gilmore 
suggests,  as  the  city  of  Richmond,  Virginia.  So 
it  will  be  seen  that  Korea  and  the  tropics  are  a 
long  way  apart,  if  tigers  do  exist  there.  In  the 
absence  of  statistical  bureaus,  such  as  are  found 
in  western  lands,  it  is  impossible  to  lay  claim  to 
scientific  accuracy  in  speaking  of  the  size  of  the 
country;  but  Korea  with  its  islands  has  probably 
an  area  of  ninety  thousand  square  miles,  equiva- 
lent to  that  of  the  states  of  New  York  and 
Pennsylvania  combined. 

Probably  twelve  million  people  are  scattered 
through  the  valleys  of  the  Hermit  Kingdom. 

The  visitor  to  Korea  journeys,  as  does  almost 
everyone,  by  a Japanese  steamer  of  the  Nippon 
Yusen  Kaishia  line,  from  Nagasaki,  Japan,  which 
first  touches  at  the  southeastern  port  of  Korea — 
Fusan.  Thence  to  Chemulpo,  the  seaport  of 
Seoul,  half-way  up  the  western  coast,  the  steamer 
threads  its  way  through  a profusion  of  islands, 
washed  by  dangerous  currents.  Off  the  south 
and  west  coasts  of  Korea  lie  thousands  of  islands, 
whose  waters  teem  with  fish.  Indeed,  one  of  the 


14  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 

titles  of  the  King  of  Korea  is  ‘ ‘ Lord  of  the  Ten 
Thousand  Islands.”  These  islands  are  mostly 
mountainous,  many  of  them  sheer  rocks,  while 
others  are  covered  with  vegetation.  The  largest 
of  these  is  Quelpart,  the  “Botany  Bay”  of  Korea 
and  probably  the  best  known  is  “Port  Hamilton,” 
at  one  time  an  English  possession.  Along  the 
eastern  coast,  it  is  worthy  of  remark,  islands  are 
exceedingly  rare.  Hon.  C.  Waeber,  the  former 
Russian  minister,  in  his  admirable  paper  on  the 
meteorology  of  Korea,  speaks  of  the  cold  Arctic 
current  flowing  down  the  eastern  coast  of  the 
country;  but  the  southern  and  western  coasts  are 
washed  by  the  same  Yellow  Sea  which  laves  the 
shore  of  northern  China,  and  the  waters  off  these 
two  coasts  feel  the  influence  of  one  of  the  three 
branches  of  the  warm  Japanese  Current,  which 
corresponds  to  the  Gulf  Stream  flowing  in  the 
Atlantic  Ocean. 

The  coast  is  rather  bleak  and  forbidding,  giv- 
ing but  little  idea  of  the  fine  scenery  existing 
in  the  interior.  Frequent  inlets  break  the 
coast  line,  especially  on  the  west  and  south  sides 
of  the  country,  in  the  smaller  of  which  at 
one  time  of  the  day  may  be  seen  a broad  sheet  of 
dancing  water,  with  boats  laden  with  brush  and 
rice,  flitting  hither  and  thither ; but  seen  at  a later 
hour,  a transformation  has  taken  place  and  the 
eye  rests  on  dreary  mud-flats,  with  a junk  here 
and  there  standing  high  and  dry  on  the  plain,  or 
resting  in  the  channel  of  a very  modest  creek. 


WHERE  IS  KOREA? 


IS 

Crab-holes  are  much  in  evidence.  Wading-birds 
utter  their  sharp  cries,  and  yonder  the  smoke 
curls  from  the  rude  hut  of  the  salt-refiner.  This 
transformation  scene  has  been  wrought  by  the 
tide,  which  rises  along  these  coasts,  somewhat  as 
it  does  in  the  Bay  of  Fundy,  to  an  average  height 
of  twenty-six  feet.  On  the  eastern  coast,  be  it 
noted  in  contrast,  there  is  a rise  and  fall  in  the 
tide  of  a very  few  feet  only.  The  interior  of  the 
country  is  a perfect  checker-board  of  mountains ; 
for,  in  traveling  from  one  end  of  the  land  to  the 
other,  a person  is  never  out  of  their  sight.  I The 
mountains  are  chiefly  composed  of  gneiss,  various 
schists  and  granite,  which  in  the  lower  peaks  and 
hilltops  are  mostly  in  a disintegrated  form.  The 
soil  of  mountain  and  valley  is  generally  yellow  in 
color,  but  certain  of  the  peaks  are  black,  as  are 
some  of  the  river  plains.  These  picturesque 
mountains,  of  every  shape  and  size,  are  frequently 
verdureless,  with  many  a furrow  cut  into  their 
surface  by  the  heavy  rainfall  of  the  summer. 
Others  are  covered  wholly  or  in  part  with  pine 
shrubs  or  trees,  as  well  as  grass  and  bushes  of  the 
magenta-hued  azalea.  The  only  snow-capped 
peaks,  to  my  knowledge,  are  found  in  the  Ever- 
White  Mountains,  upon  the  northern  frontier.  ( A 
high  ridge  of  mountains  traverses  the  peninsula 
somewhat  close  to  the  eastern  coast,  forming  a 
watershed  with  a short  slope  to  the  east  and  a 
long  slope  to  the  west,  between  it  and  the  par- 
tially enveloping  sea.  From  this  range  lateral 


i6  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 

spurs  run  out.  The  influence  of  this  range  upon 
the  country  is  seen  in  the  fact  that,  with  the 
exception  of  the  two  southeastern  provinces  (pro- 
duced by  the  range  veering  over  more  toward  the 
middle  of  the  country,  as  it  nears  the  south,  in 
latitude  37  degrees), Jttiost  of  the  larger  rivers  and 
the  bulk  of  the  population  are  to  be  found  on  the 
western  side  of  the  peninsula.  This  illustration 
I have  heard  used : The  distribution  of  the  popu- 
lation of  Korea  may  be  compared  to  an  open  fan, 
with  the  handle  to  the  east  and  the  slats  project- 
ing toward  the  Yellow  Sea,  the  first  in  order 
being  the  southeast  provinces  of  North  and  South 
Kyeng  Sang. 

The  most  important  stream  is  the  Yalu  River, 
off  whose  mouth  occurred  the  one  important  naval 
engagement  in  the  recent  war.  This  river, 
together  with  the  Tumen  River  and  the  Ever- 
White  Mountains,  forms  the  northern  boundary 
of  Korea,  between  China  on  the  north  and  the 
territory  of  Russia  on  the  northeast.  Other 
important  rivers  there  are,  which,  however,  do 
not  compare  in  length  with  the  one  first  men- 
tioned— the  Tatong  River,  in  the  north,  upon 
which  the  city  of  Pyeng-yang  (pronounced  Ping- 
yang)  is  located;  further  south  the  Han  River, 
which  bends  around  the  city  of  Seoul;  and  still 
further  south  the  Keum  River,  all  of  which  are 
on  the  west  side  of  the  peninsula.  In  the  south- 
east of  Korea,  also  worthy  of  mention,  is  the  Nak- 
tong  River.  The  treaty  ports  of  Korea  consist  of 


WHERE  IS  KOREA? 


Seoul,  Chemulpo,  and  Fusan,  already  mentioned, 
and  Gensan  on  the  eastern  coast.  Two  new  ports 
have  been  opened  this  autumn — one  at  Mokpo  in 
the  southwest,  the  other  at  Chinampo,  the  sea- 
port of  Pyeng-yang. 

Korea,  for  many  centuries,  consisted  of  eight 
provinces,  but  about  a year  ago,  for  administrative 
purposes,  five  of  the  largest  were  cut  in  two,  mak- 
ing a total  of  thirteen  provinces.  The  historical 
eight,  with  their  subdivisions,  are  located  as  fol- 
lows: In  the  northeast  are  the  provinces  of  North 
and  South  Ham  Kyeng;  in  the  northwest  are 
North  and  South  Pyeng  An;  below  them,  in  the 
western  central  portion,  lies  Whang  Hai,  then 
Kyeng  Kui,  then  North  and  South  Choung 
Chong;  in  the  eastern  middle  part  is  Kang  Won; 
in  the  southeast  lie  North  and  South  Kyeng 
Sang;  and  in  the  southwest  are  North  and  South 
Chulla. 

The  remark  upon  the  country  which  seems  to 
call  forth  the  greatest  surprise  at  home  is,  that 
in  the  winter  time  I frequently  have  seen  oxen, 
each  laden  with  a couple  of  great  bags  of  rice, 
walking  across  the  Han  River,  near  Seoul,  upon 
the  ice. 

Further  than  this,  now  and  again,  when 
taking  a Saturday  afternoon  half-holiday  skating 
upon  the  same  river,  I have  seen  a hundred 
men  and  boys  at  a time  grouped  on  the  ice,  half  of 
them  standing  about  with  their  long-stemmed 
pipes,  the  other  half  seated  upon  little  hand- 


u 


i8  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 

sleds,  each  beside  a small  square  hole  in  the  ice 
and  in  his  hands  a square-framed  reel,  with  which 
he  worked  up  and  down  a heavily  weighted  three- 
pronged trolling-hook,  in  the  water  below. 
Their  success  in  fishing,  it  may  be  mentioned, 
seemed  to  be  rather  similar  to  that  of  the  major- 
ity of  men  who  invest  in  lottery  tickets.  But  the 
point  to  be  noted  is  that  the  ice  was  frozen  to 
such  a thickness  that,  with  a hundred  or  more 
men  massed  in  one  spot,  it  neither  broke  nor 
cracked.  Winter  settles  down  by  the  middle  of 
December.  In  the  central  and  southern  parts  of 
the  country  the  thermometer  ranges  down  to 
zero ; farther  north,  in  the  vicinity  of  Pyeng-yang, 
the  mercury  has  been  known  to  fall  as  low  as  fifteen 
degrees  below  zero,  Fahrenheit.  What  the  cold 
lacks  in  thermometer  readings  it  seems  to  make 
up  in  a certain  penetrating  quality.  In  the^ 
neighborhood  of  Seoul  there  is  an  occasional  snow- 
fall of  perhaps  six  inches.  By  the  middle  of 
February  the  weather  begins  to  moderate,  and 
by  the  middle  of  the  following  month  the  farmers 
are  mending  the  banks  of  the  rice  fields  and 
beginning  their  spring  work.  The  spring  and  fall 
in  Korea  are  long  and  delightful,  with  any  num- 
ber of  beautiful  clear  days.  But  what  shall  I say 
of  the  rainy  season  of  midsummer? 

Think  of  the  fall  of  rain  in  the  heaviest  summer 
storm  at  home,  and  that  is  the  way  it  will  pour 
for  half  a day  at  a time.  There  will  be  clouds 
with  recurring  showers  for  one  or  two  weeks. 


WHERE  IS  KOREA? 


19 


Tiled  roofs  begin  to  leak.  Here  a mud  wall, 
there  the  thatched  roof  of  some  poor  Korean,  falls 
with  a crash.  Streets  and  drains  are  washed  as 
clean  as  in  Philadelphia.  Clothes  and  trunks  grow 
moldy.  Shoes  removed  at  night  are  covered  with 
green  in  the  morning.  You  seem  to  grow  moldy 
yourself.  The  entire  system  becomes  relaxed, 
and  great  care  needs  to  be  exercised  in  the 
selection  of  food  and  drink.  Then,  when  one’s 
powers  of  resistance  seem  almost  exhausted,  the 
sun  bursts  forth  with  mid-summer  force,  and  the 
thermometer  ranges  up  to  a limit  of  perhaps  90 
degrees,  Fahrenheit. ' Everything  goes  out  upon 
the  line  to  dry.  One’s  spirits  revive.  Ungainly 
pith  hats  come  out,  for  the  westerner  in  Korea, as  in 
so  many  other  localities  in  the  Orient,  must  protect 
the  head  against  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun.  Mos- 
quitoes and  bull-frogs  make  the  nights  melodious ; 
then,  after  a few  days  of  glorious  sunshine,  the 
rains  commence  again.  The  rainy  season  proper 
begins  with  July  ist  and  ends  the  15th  of  August; 
but  not  infrequently  it  lasts  from  late  June  to 
early  September,  a period  of  three  months.  At 
its  close  quinine  becomes  a table  relish  to  ward 
off  malaria. 

But  if  the  rainy  season  is  trying,  it  would  be  a 
national  calamity  to  be  without  it,  for  the  rice 
ponds,  to  which  the  nation  looks  for  the  main 
staple  in  its  year’s  supply  of  food,  are  carefully 
banked  and  terraced  so  as  to  drain  from  one  into 
the  other,  and  wait  for  the  poured-out  blessing  of 


iio  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 

rain  to  bring  the  golden  harvest.  If  the  Koreans 
could  not  live  without  rice,  quite  as  little  could  they 
do  without  rice  straw.  With  it  the  common  people 
prepare  the  feed  for  their  stock,  thatch  their 
roofs,  make  their  sandals,  braid  ropes,  weave 
cables  for  the  anchors  of  their  junks,  make 
sails  and  the  mats  for  their  floors,  tie  up  their 
strings  of  ten  eggs  each,  and  make  the  sprawling 
images  of  men  filled  with  small  coin  which  they 
throw  upon  the  roadside  the  fifteenth  day  of  the 
first  moon  of  the  year  to  carry  away  their  ill-luck. 
Korean  rice  is  of  a good  quality,  and  much  of  it 
is  shipped  to  Japan.  When  the  rice  supply  grows 
scanty,  in  the  late  spring,  the  country  people 
boil  barley  in  its  stead  for  their  main  food  staple. 
Millet  is  similarly  used  in  some  localities.  Wheat 
is  used  almost  exclusively  in  making  liquor. 
From  buckwheat  they  make  a kind  of  vermicelli, 
out  of  which  they  prepare  a dish  called  “cook- 
su,”of  which  foreigners  are  very  fond.  Beans 
are  used  for  food — put  sparingly  into  the  rice 
kettles,  or  decomposed  for  a peppery  sauce 
which  furnishes  one  of  their  side  dishes. 
Again,  they  are  mixed  with  chopped  straw  and 
boiled  in  water,  forming  a hot  mixture  that  is 
the  sole  food  of  the  cattle  and  horses  of  Korea. 
Beans  are  also  an  article  of  export.  A species  of 
turnip  or  enormous  white  radish  called  “mu”  is 
used  in  a sliced  form  for  another  of  the  side  dishes 
which  they  eat  with  their  rice.  Another  product 
is  the  “paichu,”  a species  of  cabbage  shaped 


WHERE  IS  KOREA? 


21 


something  like  a nubbin  of  corn.  This,  with  the 
red  pepper — which,  spread  out  to  dry  in  the  fall 
on  the  farmer’s  thatched  roof,  adds  such  a touch 
of  color  to  the  rural  scenery — is  used  with  other 
ingredients  for  making  a species  of  sauerkraut, 
of  which  the  Koreans  are  fond.  Most  Korean 
side  dishes,  I may  remark,  are  seasoned  very 
highly  with  either  salt  or  red  pepper,  or  cooked 
with  vegetable  oil.  Ginger,  onions  and  lettuce 
are  grown  in  their  gardens.  There  is  a very 
limited  production  of  potatoes.  Tobacco  is  raised 
in  large  quantities.  Broom  corn  and  hemp  are 
also  cultivated.  Cotton  also  grows  in  their  fields. 
It  may  be  mentioned  parenthetically  that  most  of 
the  clothing  worn  by  Koreans  is  made  out  of  cot- 
ton cloth,  part  of  which  is  native  and  part  the 
product  of  the  looms  of  Osaka  and  Manchester. 
Silk  goods  are  also  woven,  for  which  industry  the 
mulberry  tree  and  the  silkworm  are  cultivated. 
The  ginseng  root,  so  highly  prized  as  a medicine 
in  China,  is  grown  as  a government  monopoly. 
Korea  is  essentially  an  agricultural  country,  with 
methods  of  cultivation  that  are  crude,  yet  effect- 
ive. The  farmers  all  live  in  villages.  Large 
tracts  of  land  lie  untilled. 

There  is  considerable  mineral  wealth  in  the 
country.  Iron  in  the  forms  of  limonite  and 
magnetic  ore  is  profitably  mined.  An  excellent 
quality  of  anthracite  coal  comes  from  the  vicinity 
of  Pyeng-yang.  Tin,  copper,  lead  and  silver 
mines  exist.  Gold  in  considerable  quantities  is 


32 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


carried  out  of  the  country  each  year,  part  of 
which  sees  the  custom-house,  and  probably  as 
much  more  which  does  not  is  exported  to  China 
and  Japan.  One  hundred  miles  north  from 
Pyeng-yang,  at  Unsan,  gold  is  being  mined  by 
an  American  syndicate,  which  also  has  under 
construction  the  first  railroad  to  be  built  in  Korea, 
which  will  run  from  Chemulpo  to  Seoul. 

In  the  matter  of  fruits  there  is  first  a woody 
pear,  which  reminds  me  of  the  remark  of  my 
lamented  friend  Ritchie,  of  China,  in  speaking  of 
similar  fruit  in  that  country:  “It  all  depends  on 
what  you  are  eating  it  for.  If  you  are  eating  it 
for  a turnip,  it  is  very  good.  ’ ’ There  are  musk- 
melons,  apricots,  nectarines,  grapes,  a small  red 
cherry  that  grows  on  a bush,  scrubby  apples, 
luscious  persimmons  and  excellent  chestnuts  and 
walnuts.  The -Koreans  have  fine-looking  cattle 
which  they  use,  bullocks  and  cows  alike,  for 
working  in  the  fields,  carrying  loads  and  dragging 
great  clumsy  carts.  Cowhide  is  an  article  of 
export.  Koreans  never  think  of  drinking  milk, 
and  express  great  disrelish  for  the  taste  of  but- 
ter. The  average  Korean  is  too  poor  to  eat  beef 
and  pork  with  any  regularity,  and  in  their  stead 
he  eats  various  varieties  of  fish,  and,  though  he  is 
slow  to  admit  it  to  the  foreigner,  he  occasionally 
roasts  his  dog.  A few  sheep  exist,  which  are 
reserved  as  sacred  animals  for  royal  sacrifice  to 
Hananim,  on  special  occasions,  such  as  a drouth. 

The  Korean  pony  is  small,  sure-footed,  pos- 


WHERE  IS  KOREA? 


23 


sessed  of  great  endurance,  but  frequently  vicious. 
It  is  used  as  a beast  of  burden,  and  shares  with 
the  aristocrat’s  donkey  the  honor  of  use  under  the 
saddle.  For  an  appreciative  description  of  the 
Korean  pony  I commend  you  to  Rev.  J.  S.  Gale’s 
sketch  in  the  Korean  Repository. 

Every  house  keeps  a wolfish  or  currish  dog, 
brave  to  a fault — in  barking.  Cats  exist  and 
razor-backed  pigs.  There  are  also  rats,  mice,  and 
weasels.  If  one  knows  where  to  go,  where 
mountains  are  many  and  men  are  few,  tigers, 
leopards,  foxes,  wild  boar,  and  deer  can  be  found 
in  the  country.  Saucy  magpies,  screaming  kites, 
inky  crows  and  armies  of  sparrows  are  to  be  seen 
everywhere.  In  the  country  may  be  heard  the 
cuckoo’s  and  the  wild  pigeon’s  notes ; and  the  lark 
pours  forth  his  melody.  The  stately  stork  and 
crane  swoop  over  the  rice  fields.  Falcons  and 
eagles  are  seen  rarely.  Many  a pheasant  starts 
up  from  beside  the  country  road,  resplendent  in 
the  gorgeous  plumage  that  finds  a faint  reflection 
in  the  markings  of  the  barn -yard  fowls,  so  plenti- 
ful in  Korea.  Near  the  seashore  a tree  top  is 
visible  now  and  then,  filled  with  the  nests  of  the 
noisy  blue  heron.  The  graceful  swan  is  seen 
occasionally;  and  wild  ducks  and  geese  abound, 
plentiful  enough  to  stir  the  huntsman’s  heart. 

This  sketchy  view  of  the  nature  of  the  country 
and  its  products  may  serve  as  a canvas  upon 
which  we  may  throw,  in  the  pages  that  follow, 
our  pictures  of  life  in  Korea.  v 


CHAPTER  II 


A HISTORICAL  VITASCOPE 

As  the  beginnings  of  Grecian  history  are  inex- 
tricably intertwined  with  the  loves  and  jealousies 
of  the  gods,  and  English  history  has  its  early 
legends  of  the  marvels  of  King  Arthur’s  court, 
so  the  history  of  Korea  is  sufficiently  old  to  lose 
itself  in  mythical  traditions.  M}^stery  has  always 
enveloped  the  Ever-White  Mountains  on  the 
northern  frontier  of  the  land.  The  people  in  the 
olden  time,  according  to  tradition,  lived  without 
a ruler,  until  a deity  descended  from  heaven  and 
made  his  home  at  the  foot  of  a sandal-tree  upon 
the  Ever-White  Mountains.  The  people,  recog- 
nizing his  superiority,  made  him  their  king  and 
called  him  Dan-Kun,  or  the  “Sandal  Prince.’’ 
He  made  his  earliest  home  in  Pyeng-yang,  where 
to  this  day  there  is  a temple  to  his  honor,  and  his 
descendants  are  said  to  have  reigned  for  a thou- 
sand years.  However,  Chinese  and  Korean  tra- 
dition alike  affirm  that  a being  somewhat  more 
authentic,  the  Chinese  noble,  Keja,  was  the 
founder  of  the  social  order  of  Korea.  Keja  lived 
in  the  days  of  the  wicked  emperor  Chow  Sin,  the 
“Nero  of  China.’’  He  was  one  of  three  wise 
counselors  who  met  with  the  usual  fate  of  the 


24 


A HISTORICAL  VITASCOPE 


25 


givers  of  good  advice  to  wicked  kings.  One  was 
killed,  one  had  to  flee,  and  the  third  was  locked 
up  in  prison,  the  last-mentioned  being  Keja.  But 
a usurper  rid  the  country  of  the  tyrant,  and  him- 
self ascended  the  throne.  The  new  king  would 
gladly  have  given  to  Keja  the  highest  office  in  the 
state,  but  the  latter  seems  to  have  had  as  painful  a 
conscience  as  any  non-juring  rector  in  the  days 
of  King  William  of  Orange;  and  he  declared  that 
his  duty  to  the  dead  king  forbade  him  taking 
office  under  one  whom  he  considered  a usurper. 
Another  case,  you  see,  of  the  “divine  right  of 
kings.  “ The  upshot  of  the  matter  was  that  Keja, 
gathering  together  a band  of  several  thousand 
retainers,  the  remnants  of  the  defeated  army,  in 
the  year  1122  B.  C.,  while  Samuel  was  still  a 
judge  at  the  other  end  of  the  continent,  went  into 
voluntary  exile  and  settled  among  the  aborigines 
of  Korea.  He  gave  to  his  kingdom  the  name  of 
Chosen,  which,  be  it  noted,  is  the  modern  native 
name  for  Korea.  He  vigorously  carried  forward 
the  work,  said  to  have  been  begun  by  the  myth- 
ical Dan  Kun,  of  giving  to  the  country  a civiliza- 
tion such  as  he  had  known  in  China,  his  sphere  of 
influence  being  Southern  Manchuria  and  Northern 
Korea,  between  the  rivers  Liao  and  Tatong.  The 
city  of  Pyeng-yang  is  said  to  contain  his  grave ; 
and  in  two  of  the  largest  cities  of  the  country, 
Pyeng-yang  in  the  north  and  Chun-ju  in  the  south, 
I have  seen  large  temples  that  were  erected 
in  his  honor.  Tradition  also  states  that  the 


26 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


descendants  of  Keja  reigned  as  kings  over  what 
has  been  known  as  Ancient  Chosen. 

The  historical  muse  now  apparently  suffered 
from  a long  lapse  of  memory ; for  it  is  not  until 
some  two  hundred  years  before  Christ  that  the 
narrative  is  resumed.  Tradition  from  this  period 
is  replaced  by  a detailed  record.  Of  Korea’s 
ancient  history  I shall  give,  in  the  briefest  manner 
only,  an  outline  of  important  events  and  changes 
that  have  been  made  in  the  map.  These  are 
culled  from  the  many  scores  of  pages  in  which 
Dr.  W.  E.  Griffis,  with  infinite  research,  has 
chronicled  in  his  “Corea,  the  Hermit  Nation,’’ 
the  history  of  the  country  until  the  era  of  the 
treaties,  some  fifteen  years  ago.  The  central 
location  of  Korea,  a peacefully  inclined  country 
with  warlike  nations  to  the  west,  north  and 
east,  has  made  its  history  largely  a record  of 
invasions  from  China,  Mongolia,  and  Japan.  The 
invaders  would  come  on  their  conquering  career, 
and  the  people  would  bend  for  a time  like  forest 
trees  before  the  storm.  But,  the  pressure  being 
removed,  they  would  resume  their  national  life ; a 
nominal  tribute  would  be  paid  for  a term  of  years, 
then  after  a time  they  would  forget  they  ever  had 
been  conquered,  when  another  tidal  wave  of  war 
would  pour  over  them  from  without. 

The  Koreans  never  have  shown  great  valor  in 
the  fighting  of  pitched  battles,  but  it  has  been 
rather  in  irregular  warfare  and  as  garrison  fight- 
ers that  they  have  been  most  successful.  It 


A HISTORICAL  VITASCOPE 


27 


was  about  107  B.  C.  that  Ancient  Chosen,  in  which 
was  embraced  the  four  northern  provinces  of 
Korea,  North  and  South  Pyeng  An  and  North 
and  South  Ham  Kyeng,  finally  fell  before  the 
armies  of  the  Han  dynasty,  and  for  a century  or 
two  came  under  the  sway  of  China. 

The  destinies  of  these  northern  sections  of 
Korea  were  presently  to  become  affected  by  the 
incoming  of  a people  from  still  farther  north. 
The  Fuyu  race  had  their  home  in  northern  Man- 
churia, near  the  Sungari  River.  In  comparison 
with  the  surrounding  peoples  they  had  a singu- 
larly high  order  of  civilization.  From  Fuyu 
migrated  southward  what  became  the  Kokorio 
tribes,  whose  seat  was  to  the  north  and  west  of 
the  headwaters  of  the  Yalu,  near  the  Ever- White 
Mountains.  About  70  A.  D.  they  began  to 
enlarge  their  borders  till  they  absorbed  the 
north  of  Korea  and  came  into  collision  with  the 
Chinese,  whose  power  they  displaced  as  far  as 
the  limits  of  Liao  Tung,  in  Manchuria,  which  was 
known  thereafter  as  the  country  of  Korio.  They 
sustained,  until  the  seventh  century,  a fitful  warfare 
with  the  Chinese,  who  had  troubles  in  their  own 
land,  so  that,  although  they  sent  an  occasional 
invading  army,  they  could  never  give  the  contin- 
uous attention  to  these  eastern  tribes  which  was 
needed  in  order  to  subdue  them. 

Let  us  consider  next  the  early  history  of  Southern 
Korea,  which  for  present  purposes  we  may  consider 
to  be  all  the  territory  lying  south  of  the  Tatong 


28 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


River.  At  the  time  Ancient  Chosen  was  absorbed 
into  China,  in  107  B.  C.,  all  Southern  Korea  was 
divided  into  three  Han  or  geographical  divisions, 
the  Mahan  in  the  western  central  part,  the  Ben- 
han  in  the  south,  and  the  Shinhan  in  the  eastern 
central  portion  of  the  peninsula.  These  were 
loosely  joined  confederacies  of  aboriginal  tribes, 
with  spirit  worship  for  their  only  religion,  and  with 
a rather  low  grade  of  civilization,  though  it 
should  be  mentioned  that  relatively  the  Shinhan 
people  were  of  a much  higher  order,  for  they  lived 
in  palisaded  cities  and  had  already  learned  the 
art  of  weaving  silk  and  working  iron.  It  is  stated 
that  in  the  first  century  A.  D.  works  of  skill  and 
art  were  sent  from  here  to  the  Mikado  of  Japan 
which  were  greatly  superior  to  anything  produced 
in  the  Island  Empire  of  that  day.  Probably  the 
secret  of  their  advanced  state  is  that  refugees  from 
China  had  settled  in  their  midst.  But  certain 
political  changes  are  to  be  noted.  Kijun,  a king 
deposed  in  old  Chosen,  fled  southward,  and 
among  the  Mahan  tribes  set  up  what  is  known 
among  the  Koreans  as  the  Pakje,  and  among  the 
Japanese  writers  as  the  Hiaksai  Kingdom.  The 
name  Shinhan  became  changed  to  the  Silla  King- 
dom. 

Inter-tribal  war  was  of  frequent  occurrence, 
and  presently  the  map  of  all  Korea  would  need 
readjustment  as  follows:  There  are  now  three 
kingdoms — Korio  in  the  north,  Silla  in  the  south- 
east and  Pakje  in  the  southwest  of  the  peninsula. 


A HISTORICAL  VITASCOPE 


29 


We  are  now  in  the  epoch  of  the  three  kingdoms. 
The  kingdom  of  Pakje  presently  became  the  lead- 
ing state.  Here,  in  374  A.  D.,  the  writings  of 
Confucius  and  Mencius  first  entered  the  peninsula 
from  China.  A decade  later  Buddhism  likewise 
established  itself  in  Pakje.  In  the  following 
century  the  men  of  Pakje,  having  defeated  an 
invading  army  from  China,  their  independence 
was  virtually  recognized  by  the  emperor.  About 
660,  in  the  course  of  their  internal  warfare,  Silla 
appealed  to  China  for  aid,  which  was  granted, 
and  as  the  result  of  the  war  Pakje  became 
absorbed  into  China.  But  presently  they  were 
again  in  arms,  and  invoked  the  aid  of  Japan 
against  Silla.  The  Japanese  sent^  a fleet,  which, 
however,  was  surprised  and  sunk  by  the  allied 
armies  of  China  and  Silla,  with  the  result  that  the 
kingdom  of  Pakje  was  utterly  laid  waste.  Large 
bodies  of  the  people  of  Pakje,  about  700  A.  D., 
emigrated  to  Japan,  introducing,  it  is  supposed, 
the  study  of  the  writings  of  Gautama  and 
of  the  great  sage  of  China.  Let  us  turn  once 
more  to  the  kingdom  of  Korio  in  the  north.  The 
government  of  Korio  was  feudal,  with  great  nobles 
almost  as  powerful  as  the  king.  In  641  one  of 
these  murdered  the  king  and  seized  the  throne. 
The  Chinese  emperor  acknowledged  his  sover- 
eignty, but  ordered  him  to  cease  the  invasion  of 
Silla,  China’s  ally.  He  refused  and  a great  invad- 
ing army  came  by  sea  and  land  from  China.  By 
the  splendid  defense  of  the  city  of  An-ju  the  men 


30 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


of  Korio  held  their  own  till  the  Chinese,  from  lack 
of  provisions,  had  to  withdraw,  and,  like  the  fate 
of  Napoleon’s  army  in  the  Moscow  campaign, 
thousands  of  Chinese  soldiers  died  in  the  winter 
retreat.  In  664,  however,  another  invasion  was 
more  successful,  and  the  kingdom  of  Korio  dis- 
appeared from  the  map. 

Let  us  turn  our  attention  next  to  the  kingdom 
of  Silla.  The  island  of  Kiushiu,  upon  which  is 
located  the  modern  city  of  Nagasaki,  brought 
this  kingdom  into  early  collision  with  Japan;  for 
settlers  from  Silla  came  to  believe  that  they 
owned  the  island,  which  opinion  was  disputed  by 
the  men  of  the  dominant  Yamato  tribe,  living  in 
the  vicinity  of  Kioto.  The  result  was  that  in  200 
A.  D.  the  Japanese,  under  Queen  Jingu,  marched 
to  suppress  the  so-called  Kiushiu  “rebels.” 
Being  convinced  that  the  root  of  the  trouble  lay 
in  the  peninsula,  the  queen  crossed  with  her  army 
to  the  mainland,  overran  without  resistance  the 
kingdom  of  Silla,  and  returned  to  J apan  with  rich 
tribute.  From  this  time  may  be  said  to  have  origi- 
nated the  claim  of  Japan,  so  similar  to  that  of 
China,  that  Korea  was  their  tributary  country. 

Intermittent  war  was  waged  between  the  men 
of  Silla  and  the  allied  forces  of  Pakje  and  Korio 
down  to  the  tenth  century,  in  which  occasionally 
the  Japanese  would  assist  Pakje,  or  the  Chinese 
would  be  allied  with  Silla,  or  the  nations  north  of 
the  peninsula  would  help  Korio.  Buddhism, 
introduced  into  the  kingdom  in  528,  steadily 


A HISTORICAL  VITASCOPE 


31 


grew  to  be  the  prevailing  religion.  One  of  the 
ablest  scholars  of  Silla  is  credited  with  the 
invention  of  the  admirable  native  alphabet,  to  be 
mentioned  later.  Kiong-ju,  the  capital  of  the 
kingdom,  developed  into  a city  of  great  relative 
material  splendor  and  a center  of  learning  and 
refinement  whose  influence  was  felt,  not  only 
throughout  all  Korea,  but  as  far  as  the  court  of 
Japan,  teaching  the  arts  of  peace.  Politically, 
Silla  finally  came  to  rule  the  entire  eastern  half 
of  the  peninsula,  until,  as  the  last  of  the  three 
kingdoms,  she  fell,  in  934,  to  give  place  to  united 
Korea. 

In  speaking  now  of  united  Korea,  we  need  to 
notice  that  sometime  in  the  ninth  century,  race 
movements  north  of  the  Tumen  River  brought 
into  Northern  Korea  large  numbers  of  emigrants, 
who  soon  grew  prosperous.  Out  of  these  people 
a Buddhist  monk  named  Kung-wo,  in  912,  raised 
an  army  under  the  flag  of  rebellion ; but  he  was 
presently  killed  and  succeeded  by  his  lieutenant, 
Wang,  a descendant  of  the  old  royal  house  of 
Korio.  China  was  at  that  time  occupied  with  wars 
at  home.  Moreover,  the  government  of  Silla,  the 
one  remaining  kingdom,  had  grown  decrepit. 
Thus  Wang  had  everything  his  own  way  and  a 
very  few  years  sufficed  to  bring  the  entire 
peninsula  under  his  sway.  He  chose  for  the 
site  of  his  capital  the  city  of  Song-do,  also  known 
as  Kai-seng,  some  sixty  miles  northwest  of  Seoul. 
Here  his  descendants  reigned  for  four  hundred 


32  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 

years.  For  convenience  we  may  think  of  this 
period  of  history  as  the  era  of  the  Song-do 
dynasty.  The  kingdom  took  the  name  of  Korio. 
This  was  the  golden  age  of  Korean  Buddhism. 
Wang’s  son  and  successor  speedily  formed  an 
alliance  with  China,  and  sent  her  tribute.  One 
hundred  years  before  the  time  of  Gutenberg  the 
Koreans  were  printing  books  from  wooden  blocks, 
whence  the  art  was  introduced  into  Japan. 

Genghis  Khan,  the  Alexander  of  the  Orient, 
who  with  his  Mongol  hard  riders  conquered  nearly 
the  whole  of  Asia,  sent  one  of  his  three  armies  to 
conquer  Korea  and  Japan.  In  1218  the  Korean 
king  declared  himself  the  vassal  of  the  great 
Mongol  chief.  A few  years  later  a Mongol 
envoy  was  murdered  in  Korea.  In  answer,  an 
invading  army  came,  which  divided  the  country 
under  Mongol  prefects.  The  people,  as  soon  as 
they  dared,  rose  and  murdered  them  all.  Then 
they  were  invaded  in  earnest,  and,  among  other 
exactions,  the  Korean  king  was  required  to  do 
homage  in  person  at  the  conqueror’s  court.  For 
several  decades,  though  always  turbulent,  the 
Koreans  were  held  under  Mongol  rule.  Kublai 
Khan,  the  grandson  of  Genghis,  in  1281  forced 
the  Koreans  to  assist  in  an  unsuccessful  invasion 
of  Japan.  Their  presence  among  the  invaders 
helped  to  intensify  the  hatred  between  the  penin- 
sular kingdom  and  the  island  empire.  From  this 
time,  for  two  or  three  centuries,  the  Japanese 
central  government  being  weakened  through  the 


A HISTORICAL  VITASCOPE 


33 


prevalence  of  civil  wars,  Japanese  pirates  were 
abundant,  who  drove  Korean  junks  from  the  seas 
and  made  the  life  of  coast  dwellers  miserable. 
This  did  not  improve  the  state  of  feeling  in  Korea. 

In  1392  there  was  a change  of  dynasties  which 
brought  to  the  front  the  Ye  dynasty,  now  on  the 
throne  of  Korea,  though  the  direct  line  came  to 
an  end  in  1864.  The  name  of  the  country  was 
also  changed  from  Korio  to  the  ancient  term. 
Chosen.  The  Wang  dynasty  had  greatly  degen- 
erated, and  a tyrant  was  on  the  throne.  Ye 
Taijo,  a military  officer,  had  risen  to  be  the  head 
of  the  army  and  had  become  the  king’s  son-in- 
law.  Korea  for  some  time  had  neglected  to  send 
tribute  to  the  Mongol  ruler  on  the  Dragon  throne. 
The  Mongols  had  made  a half-hearted  effort  to 
again  subdue  Korea,  but  the  troops  under  Ye 
Taijo  repelled  them..  And  now  a Ming  emperor 
was  on  the  throne  of  China,  who  demanded 
pledges  of  vassalage,  which  the  king,  against  the 
wishes  of  his  people,  refused  to  send.  As  Korea 
was  about  to  be  overwhelmed  by  the  Ming  veter- 
ans, Ye  Taijo  seized  the  reins  of  power,  deposed 
the  king  and  made  his  peace  with  the  emperor. 
With  Ye  Taijo  began  the  new  dynasty,  whose 
capital  city  was  changed  to  its  present  location  at 
Seoul.  The  dress  and  top-knot  of  the  Ming  era 
of  China  was  at  that  time  adopted  in  Korea,  and 
continues  in  vogue  to  this  day. 

Tribute  was  sent  to  China  and  at  first  to  Japan, 
though  later  it  was  discontinued.  J apanese  pirates. 


34 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


with  Korean  renegades  for  pilots,  still  harassed 
the  coasts  of  Korea.  But  within  the  peninsula 
life  grew  easy.  The  people  traded  and  tilled  the 
fields.  The  officials  and  the  military  officers  led 
a life  of  pleasure,  and  war  was  the  last  thing  in 
the  world  for  which  they  were  prepared.  Like  a 
summer  holiday,  the  time  glided  by  until  the 
close  of  the  sixteenth  century.  Then  came  the 
two  terrible  Japanese  invasions,  like  the  sweep 
of  a great  tidal  wave,  leaving  death  and  ruin 
behind  them  and  the  memory  of  dreadful  deeds. 

In  1585  a master  general,  Hideyoshi,  had 
arisen  in  Japan,  where  for  two  centuries  anarchy 
had  reigned.  His  conquering  hosts  had  brought 
the  entire  group  of  islands  under  the  Mikado’s 
feudal  rule,  and  now  waited  on  their  arms  for 
new  foes  to  conquer.  He  had  been  given  the 
highest  rank  attainable  by  a subject,  and  he  was 
incensed  that  the  Koreans,  whom  he  regarded  a 
tributary  people,  had  failed  to  send  their  greetings 
with  those  of  other  vassals.  He  sent  as  envoy  a 
tactless  old  warrior,  to  inquire  why  tribute  of  late 
years  had  ceased  to  be  sent.  His  mission  was  a 
failure,  and  the  old  man  lost  his  life  on  his  return. 
Another  envoy  was  more  successful,  and  he 
returned  with  a tribute-bearing  embassy  from 
Korea.  These,  after  along  delay,  were  granted  an 
interview  by  Hideyoshi,  and  later  he  sent  them, 
together  with  various  presents,  an  insolent  reply 
addressed  to  their  king.  He  also  sent  asking  the 
rulers  of  Korea  to  help  them  renew  peaceful  rela- 


A HISTORICAL  VITASCOPE 


35 


tions  with  China,  which  the  pirates  had  disturbed. 
The  reply  from  Korea  was  naturally  unsatisfac- 
tory. He  then  resolved  not  only  to  humble 
China,  but  incidentally  to  crush  Korea.  This 
was  in  1592.  The  army  which  disembarked  at 
Fusan  was  enormous,  well-provisioned,  and  con- 
tained a corps  trained  in  the  use  of  match-lock 
guns,  a weapon  at  that  time  new  to  the  East.  The 
command  of  the  troops  was  divided  between  two 
generals ; one,  Konishi,  an  impetuous  young  man 
and  a Roman  Catholic;  the  other,  Kato,  a fierce 
old  fighter  and  an  ardent  Buddhist.  Each  was  a 
good  leader  in  his  way,  but  intensely  jealous  of 
the  other.  Konishi  arrived  first.  The  fortress  at 
Tongnai,  close  to  Fusan,  quickly  fell.  He  at 
once  started  north  through  the  peninsula,  follow- 
ing the  course  of  the  Naktong  River  as  far  as 
Sang-ju.  Kato  arrived  a day  later,  and  he  fumed 
with  rage  to  learn  that  his  rival  had  already  taken 
his  departure.  He  took  the  more  western  road, 
sending  detachments  into  the  Chulla  and  Chung- 
chong  provinces.  Then  began  a race  between 
the  rival  armies  to  reach  Seoul.  From  Sang- 
ju,  in  the  Kiung-sang  province,  Konishi  pushed 
on  to  Chiong-ju  in  the  Chung-chong  province 
and  quickly  reduced  the  city.  Kato  arrived 
here  a few  days  later,  but  he  redoubled  his 
energies,  so  that  the  very  day  Konishi  entered 
Seoul  by  one  gate,  he  entered  by  another.  They 
found  a deserted  city.  The  king  and  his  court, 
accustomed  to  spend  their  days  under  the  spell 


36  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


of  the  flowing  bowl  and  the  attractions  of  dancing- 
girls,  had  found  themselves  unequal  to  the  situ- 
ation and  had  fled  precipitately  to  Pyeng-yang 
in  the  north,  amidst  the  drenching  showers 
of  the  rainy  season.  Soldiers  and  people  vied 
with  each  other  in  the  speed  of  their  flight  to 
the  mountains.  The  king  had  ordered  the  rem- 
nants of  his  army  to  make  a stand  at  the  Rim-chin 
River.  Kato  and  Konishi,  after  a few  days’  rest 
in  the  empty  capital,  with  united  forces  started 
north.  At  the  Rim-chin  River,  by  a feigned 
retreat,  they  induced  the  Koreans  to  cross,  then 
routed  them  and  seized  their  junks.  Here  the 
two  Japanese  leaders,  owing  to  mutual  jealousy, 
drew  lots  and  parted  company.  Kato  went  to  the 
eastern  side,  while  Konishi  remained  on  the  west- 
ern side  of  the  peninsula,  both  of  them  headed 
for  the  north.  Konishi  marched  on  Pyeng-yang, 
while  the  king  fled  across  the  border  at  Eui-ju. 
Konishi  camped  upon  the  opposite  side  of  the 
Tatong  River  till  the  Pyeng-yang  troops  made 
an  unsuccessful  night  attack  upon  him,  which 
only  resulted  in  betraying  the  locations  of  the 
fords  in  the  river  to  the  Japanese,  who,  promptly 
availing  themselves  of  the  information,  crossed 
and  took  the  city.  Here  Konishi,  before  starting 
for  China,  awaited  the  arrival  of  his  fleet,  which, 
however,  was  never  to  come.  Some  Koreans  had 
in  the  meantime  been  thinking  and  had  evolved  a 
new  model  of  fighting-junk.  With  these  they 
. lured  the  Japanese  fleet  into  the  open  sea  and 


A HISTORICAL  VITASCOPE 


37 


proceeded  to  demolish  it.  This  greatly  raised 
the  spirits  of  the  Koreans,  who  had  hitherto 
seemed  dazed  by  the  rapidity  and  success  of  the 
Japanese  movements.  The  king,  from  Liao  Tung, 
was  sending  importunate  appeals  for  help  to  the 
court  of  Peking.  A few  thousand  Chinese  troops 
marched  down  from  Liao  Tung  into  Korea.  The 
Japanese  allowed  them  to  enter  the  streets  of  the 
city  of  Pyeng-yang,  and  then,  from  well-chosen 
positions,  attacked  and  cut  them  to  pieces. 
The  court  of  Peking  now  took  the  invasion  seri- 
ously. They  began  at  once  to  raise  an  army  of 
40,000  men,  and  juggled  with  characteristic 
Chinese  diplomacy  in  order  to  gain  time.  About 
all  of  importance  that  Kato  had  done  in  the 
meanwhile  was  to  capture  a couple  of  Korean  royal 
princes.  Koreans  were  beginning  to  organize 
bands  for  guerrilla  warfare.  In  1593  came  the 
Chinese  army,  60,000  strong,  and  aided  by  Korean 
troops  attacked  for  two  days  the  fortifications 
the  Japanese  had  reared  on  the  hills  north  of 
the  city  of  Pyeng-yang.  Then  Konishi  with- 
drew his  troops  in  the  night,  and  retreated  to 
Seoul.  Small  Japanese  garrisons  were  being 
taken  by  Korean  bands.  Kato  presently  yielded 
to  the  appeals  of  his  colleague,  and  also  returned 
to  Seoul.  The  allies  now  began  to  advance  on  the 
capital.  Then  came  the  terrible  massacre  in 
which  the  Japanese  troops  put  to  the  sword  hun- 
dreds of  non-combatants,  drove  out  others  and 
laid  waste  large  portions  of  the  city.  Later  a 


38  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


terrific  battle  was  fought  near  Seoul,  in  which 
the  allied  Chinese  and  Korean  troops  were  worsted 
and  withdrew  to  Song-do. 

A winter  of  suffering  from  famine  and  pestilence 
in  an  exhausted  country  settled  down.  At  its 
close  a treaty  of  peace  was  concluded,  and  the 
Japanese  returned  to  Fusan. 

While  negotiations  were  pending  the  Japanese 
showed  that,  while  they  were  willing  to  be  at 
peace  with  China,  they  did  not  consider  that 
they  were  done  with  unhappy  Korea.  Kato  was 
given  orders  to  capture  the  walled  city  of  Chin-ju 
in  Southeastern  Korea.  I have  seen  in  that  city 
the  temple  built  in  honor  of  a Korean  dancing- 
girl  who  at  this  period  is  said  to  have  lured  on 
shore  a Japanese  general  and  then  drov/ned  her- 
self and  him  at  the  same  time  from  a fiat  rock  in 
the  river.  After  a most  stubborn  resistance  on 
the  part  of  the  Koreans  the  city  was  taken  and 
large  numbers  of  people  were  put  to  the 
sword. 

Hideyoshi,  considering  himself  insulted  by  the 
form  of  address  in  the  letter  of  the  Chinese 
emperor,  sent  with  an  embassy,  broke  off  negotia- 
tions and  renewed  the  war  in  what  is  known  as 
the  second  invasion  of  Korea.  A Chinese  army 
marched  down  to  the  city  of  Nam-eung,  in  South- 
western Korea.  The  first  battle  of  the  campaign 
was  a naval  one  off  the  southern  coast  of  the 
country,  in  which  the  Korean  fieet  came  to  grief. 
Kato  and  Konishi  now  moved  on  Nam-eung,  with 


A HISTORICAL  VITASCOPE 


39 


its  splendid  walls.  After  some  days’  fighting  the 
walls  were  scaled  by  piling  up  bundles  of  green 
rice  on  one  side  and  by  climbing  a secret  mountain 
path  on  the  other.  In  the  fight  which  ensued 
thousands  of  Koreans  and  Chinese  were  slain, 
whose  noses  and  ears  were  later  cut  ofE  and 
shipped  to  Japan  to  form  the  great  “ear  mound,’’ 
now  to  be  seen  under  its  monument  in  Kioto. 

About  the  same  time,  off  the  south  coast  of 
Korea,  the  Chinese  and  Japanese  fleets  fought  a 
battle,  in  which  the  fleet  of  the  latter  was  anni- 
hilated. This,  as  in  the  other  invasion,  really 
defeated  the  Japanese,  as  it  destroyed  the  supply  of 
food  upon  which  they  relied.  The  Japanese 
advanced  almost  to  Seoul,  but  learning  of  the 
approach  of  large  reinforcements  for  the  Chinese 
army,  and  their  food  supply  growing  scanty,  they 
began  their  retreat,  spoiling  the  houses  and  tem- 
ples as  they  went  of  everything  of  value.  This  was 
notably  true  of  the  ancient  and  magnificent 
city  of  Kiong-ju,  once  the  capital  of  Silla, 
which  they  not  only  spoiled,  but  burned  to  the 
ground. 

They  finally  rested  within  the  fortifications  of 
Ulsan,  where  part  of  them  remained.  This  place 
was  besieged  by  an  army  of  the  allies,  and  much 
desperate  fighting  followed.  The  siege  was 
finally  raised  owing  to  Japanese  successes  else- 
where, and  more  noses  and  ears  were  sent  to 
Japan.  For  a time  the  war  lingered  on.  Then 
Hideyoshi  died  and  the  Japanese  troops  were 


40 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


recalled.  This  ended  the  terrible  war.  Tribute 
was  sent  for  a hundred  years  or  so,  and  then  its 
sending  was  discontinued. 

Life  passed  comparatively  uneventful  in  the 
peninsula  until  the  regions  to  the  north  sent  forth 
another  host  of  hard  riders  in  the  Manchus.  In 
1619  the  Koreans,  who  had  at  first  helped  the 
Chinese,  became  convinced  that  the  Manchus 
were  destined  to  triumph — which  they  did  even- 
tually, and  seated  one  of  their  number  on  the 
Dragon  throne — so  they  went  over  to  the  Manchus. 
But  they  continued  to  give  real  assistance  to  the 
Chinese.  Presently  the  Manchus  found  time  to 
turn  their  attention  to  the  Koreans,  and  twice 
invaded  the  country  as  far  as  Seoul,  leaving  death 
and  destruction  behind  them.  The  king  and  his 
court  in  each  case  fled  down  the  Han  River  to  the 
island  of  Kang-wha,  which  was  captured  in  the 
second  invasion.  The  king  had  now  to  make  his 
allegiance  actual  by  furnishing  the -Manchus  with 
grain  and  providing  them  with  a small  army.  To 
the  new  Manchu  emperor  they  also  had  to  send 
yearly  a stipulated  tribute ; such,  for  instance,  as 
100  ounces  of  gold,  10,000  bags  of  rice,  100  tiger 
skins,  etc. 

Thence  until  the  recent  past  they  saw  no  more 
of  invading  armies.  In  1653  a Dutch  ship  was 
wrecked  off  Quelpart  Island  and  the  men  were 
held  as  slaves  in  the  peninsula  for  a number  of 
years.  One  of  their  number,  Hamil,  escaped  and 
wrote  a book  upon  the  country.  At  the  close  of 


A HISTORICAL  VITASCOPE 


41 


the  last  century  a Chinese  priest,  and  in  1835 
French  fathers  of  the  Jesuit  order  of  Roman 
Catholics,  slipped  secretly,  at  the  risk  of  their 
lives,  into  the  peninsula,  to  follow  up  work  which 
had  germinated  from  the  reading  of  some  religious 
tracts  that  had  found  their  way  into  the  country 
from  China.  The  account  of  their  labors  and 
sufferings  is  admirably  told  in  Ballet’s  “Histoire 
de  I'Eglise  de  Cor^e.” 

The  revolutionary  nature,  from  a Korean  point 
of  view,  of  the  new  teachings,  which  demanded 
nothing  less  than  the  abandonment  of  their  most 
sacred  custom,  the  worship  of  ancestors,  together 
with  the  discovery  of  what  they  considered 
treasonable  political  intrigue  in  a letter  written 
by  a Korean  convert  inviting  the  invasion  of 
western  armies,  early  brought  upon  the  Catholic 
adherents  murderous  persecution.  In  1839  three 
French  fathers  were  killed.  And  in  the  minority 
of  the  present  king  (while  the  cruel  Tai-won-kun, 
his  father,  was  on  the  throne  as  regent),  occurred 
the  terrible  martyrdoms  of  1866.  Fear  of  foreign 
aggression  and  the  rumor  that  the  Chinese  were 
killing  the  Catholic  adherents  in  their  country 
were  the  inciting  causes.  Fourteen  bishops  and 
priests,  with  thousands  of  their  Korean  converts, 
suffered  martyrdom. 

In  reprisal,  in  the  following  year,  a French  fleet 
appeared  off  the  coast;  but  nothing  came  of  the 
expedition  beyond  a brush  with  the  Korean 
soldiers  guarding  the  island  of  Kang-wha,  in  the 


42 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


Han  River.  In  1871  came  some  American  gun- 
boats to  avenge  the  murder  of  the  crew  of  the 
American  schooner  “Gen.  Sherman,”  wrecked 
near  Pyeng-yang,  and  after  brisk  fighting  the  men 
of  the  “Monocacy”  and  “Palos”  captured  five 
forts  on  the  island  of  Kang-wha.  In  1876,  the 
present  king  now  reigning  in  his  own  right,  a 
treaty  was  signed  between  Korea  and  Japan 
which  opened  the  long-closed  gates  of  the  “Her- 
mit Kingdom.”  With  the  help  of  Li  Hung 
Chang,  Admiral  Schufeldt,  in  1882,  secured  a 
treaty  between  Korea  and  the  United  States,  and 
treaties  with  other  western  nations  followed. 
Before  the  year  closed  a reactionary  insurrection, 
incited  by  the  foreign-hating  Tai-won-kun,  took 
place,  in  which  a number  of  Japanese  were  killed 
and  Tai-won-kun  was  kidnaped  by  a Chinese 
warship  and  taken  to  China.  China — although 
before  the  signing  of  the  treaties,  when  the 
murders  of  the  French  fathers  and  the  crew  of 
the  “Gen  Sherman”  were  under  discussion — had 
declared  that  she  was  in  no  wise  responsible  for 
the  Korean  government,  yet  later  she  made 
much  of  the  fact  that  yearly  tribute  had  been  sent 
to  her,  and  her  “Resident,”  by  subtle  diplomacy, 
made  himself  the  power  behind  the  throne,  at 
least  in  checking  all  progress  along  western  lines. 
Judge  O.  N.  Denny  of  Oregon,  for  several  years 
adviser  to  his  majesty,  although  appointed  through 
the  influence  of  Li  Hung  Chang,  felt  it  his  duty 
to  strongly  combat  the  position  assumed  by 


A HISTORICAL  VITASCOPE 


43 


China.  A party  of  progressive  young  nobles, 
rendered  desperate  by  conservative  opposition, 
organized  the  “emeute  of  1884.”  High  officials 
were  killed.  For  three  days  the  young  nobles 
ruled  the  kingdom.  Then  Chinese  soldiers 
appeared  in  opposition,  and  Japanese  soldiers 
took  the  part  of  the  young  men.  There  was  fight- 
ing, and  the  young  men  had  to  flee,  some  to  Japan 
and  some  to  the  United  States,  while  the 
Japanese,  with  their  citizens  in  a hollow  square, 
fought  their  way  down  to  the  coast.  Chinese 
influence  now  had  a clear  field. 

The  Chino- Japanese  war  of  1894  is  so  recent 
that  few  comments  are  necessary.  An  insurrec- 
tion having  occurred  in  the  south  of  the  country, 
due  to  excessive  extortion  upon  the  part  of  the 
officials,  the  king  of  Korea  asked  the  help  of 
Chinese  troops,  who  were  sent  by  Li  Hung 
Chang.  This  the  Japanese  resented  as  contrary 
to  the  Chino- Japanese  treaty,  which  allowed  only  a 
legation  guard  of  Chinese  in  the  country.  The 
Japanese  came  with  the  rallying  cry,  “The  inde- 
pendence of  Korea,  ’ ’ drove  the  Chinese  out  of  the 
country,  and  took  the  two  great  forts  that  guard 
the  entrance  from  the  sea  to  the  Korean  capital. 
The  main  events  of  the  war  were  the  sinking  of 
the  Chinese  transport  ship,  ‘ ‘ Kowshing,  ’ ’ bearing 
the  British  flag,  the  land  battles  in  Korea  at  Asan 
and  Pyeng-yang,  the  naval  fight  off  the  mouth  of 
the  Yalu,  and  the  taking  of  the  Chinese  fortresses 
at  Port  Arthur  and  Wei-hai-wei.  Incidentally, 


44 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


the  Japanese  stormed  the  Korean  palace  and 
revolutionized  the  government,  putting  into  the 
government  offices  Koreans  favorable  to  their 
schemes  of  reform.  Granted  the  right  of  Japan, 
which  was  not  conceded  at  the  time  by  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  other  nations,  to  march  her 
armies  into  the  land  of  a friendly  country  and 
overturn  its  government,  the  reforms  instituted 
by  the  Japanese  were  in  the  main  most  excellent. 
And  that  they  made  an  honest  effort  to  carry 
them  out  was  seen  in  their  sending  as  minister 
Count  Inouye,  one  of  the  best  administrators  in 
their  country.  Then  came  the  blunder  of  the  Ito 
cabinet,  so  fatal  to  Japanese  interests,  in  the 
sending  of  Viscount  Miura  as  his  successor,  fol- 
lowed by  the  dreadful  murder,  October  8,  1895,  of 
the  queen,  known  to  have  been  by  far  the  most 
astute  politician  in  Korea.  For  months  the  grief- 
stricken  king  was  held  a close  prisoner  in  his  own 
palace.  Then  one  bright  morning,  in  February 
of  the  following  year,  by  a clever  ruse  his  majesty 
and  the  crown  prince  slipped  out  of  the  palace  in 
the  closed  chairs  of  palace  ladies,  and  fled  for 
refuge  to  the  Russian  legation.  There  they  met 
with  a cordial  welcome  from  the  Russian  min- 
ister, Mr.  Waeber,  and  his  gracious  wife,  who 
have  moved  recently  to  their  new  diplomatic 
home  in  Mexico  City,  and  both  of  whom,  I may 
remark  in  passing,  were  highly  respected  and 
beloved  by  all  the  foreigners  in  Korea.  From 
that  time  onward  the  influence  of  the  Great 


A HISTORICAL  VITASCOPE 


45 


Northern  Empire  has  steadily  increased  in  the 
peninsula.*  At  the  Russian  legation  his  majesty 
remained  for  a year,  and  then  moved  to  his  new 
palace  within  the  foreign  settlement.  It  is  under- 
stood that  this  autumn  he  will  assume  the  title  of 
emperor,  and  that  the  name  of  the  country  will  be 
changed  from  Chosen,  the  “land  of  morning 
calm,”  to  that  of  Daihan,  whose  significance  is 
that  of  “Great  Han,”  Han  being  the  term  which, 
as  will  be  remembered,  was  applied  to  each  of  the 
political  divisions  of  the  land  in  the  dawn  of  its 
history. 


* As  the  book  goes  to  press,  word  has  come  that  the 
Russians  have  reversed  their  policy  in  Korea.  They  have 
recalled  the  thirteen  military  instructors  and  the  financial 
adviser,  who  but  a short  time  previous  had  displaced  Dr.  J. 
McLeavey  Brown,  and  have  entered  into  a compact  with 
the  Japanese  in  which  it  is  mutually  agreed  that  neither 
country  shall  nominate  military  instructors  nor  financial 
advisers  for  Korea  without  a prior  agreement  between  the 
two  contracting  powers. 


CHAPTER  III 


HOW  THE  PEOPLE  LIVE 

How  well  I remember  the  afternoon  our  steamer 
swung  around  Deer  Island,  where  the  Russians 
have  been  trying  to  get  a coaling-station,  into  the 
round  harbor  of  Fusan,  disclosing  the  strange, 
new  land  to  our  unaccustomed  eyes.  I can  see 
now  the  green-covered  hills,  with  here  and  there 
a white  object  stalking  over  their  surface  that 
suggested  only  too  distinctly  the  beings  that  are 
said  to  creep  in  church-yards  after  the  night  has 
fallen.  Koreans  almost  universally  dress  in  white, 
and  the  fashion  of  their  garments  is  unique.  Let 
us  study  the  attire  of  my  friend,  Mr.  Pak,  as  he  sits 
near  by  all  unconsciously  puffing  away  at  his  long- 
stemmed pipe;  for  the  smoking  of  tobacco  is  com- 
mon among  the  men  and  women  of  Korea.  On 
his  head  is  a round,  tapering,  flat-topped  hat,  with 
a brim  thirteen  inches  in  diameter,  woven  with 
very  flne  strips  of  bamboo,  which  make  it  exceed- 
ingly light.  This  hat  is  ordinarily  black  in  color, 
but  under  certain  circumstances  the  mourning 
customs  of  the  country  require  it  to  be  of  a whitish- 
yellow  hue.  Except  in  the  seclusion  of  his  home 
this  hat  is  always  upon  his  head.  As  he  slips  the 
ribbon  from  under  his  chin  and  removes  the  hat 
for  a moment,  we  see  that  his  hair  is  done  up  in  a 

46 


HOW  THE  PEOPLE  LIVE 


47 


very  peculiar  way.  He  has  suffered  the  coarse 
black  locks  to  grow  very  long,  and,  I may  remark, 
periodically  has  a large  square  tonsure  shaven  on 
the  top  of  his  head ; but  this  you  would  never 
guess  as  you  look  at  him,  for  his  hair  has  been 
gathered  up  and  tightly  coiled  in  a top-knot,  two 
or  three  inches  long  and  a single  inch  in  diameter, 
which  stands  straight  up  from  the  crown  of  his 
head.  Bound  about  his  brow,  so  tightly  as  to  cause 
a slight  depression  in  the  forehead,  is  a band  of 
woven  horsehair,  two  inches  wide.  This  serves 
to  hold  his  hair  in  place  and  into  it  he  occasionally 
tucks  a straggling  lock  with  a tool  that  looks 
like  a little  horn  paper-knife. 

As  Mr.  Pak  considers  himself  rather  a gentle- 
man, should  you  see  him  in  the  seclusion  of  his 
home  you  would  observe  on  his  head  a skullcap 
of  black  horse  hair,  dented  in  at  the  front  so  that 
it  looks  like  a two-stepped  horse  block;  or  again, 
either  with  or  without  this  skullcap,  you  might 
see  on  him  another  style  of  horse-hair  hat  that 
gives  one  something  of  the  impression  of  a royal 
crown  that  had  been  flattened  under  a letter- 
press.  Think  of  a suit  of  clothes  without  a 
single  button ! Everything  is  tied  up  with  a girdle 
or  with  some  form  of  band  with  one  end  sewed 
to  the  cloth.  Mr.  Pak  wears  next  his  body  a 
jacket  reaching  to  the  waist;  and  over  this,  while 
away  from  home,  he  wears  a full-sleeved  loose 
robe  that  falls  to  his  ankles.  Beneath  it  you 
catch  an  occasional  glimpse  of  a pouch  or  two, 


48  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


and  of  the  case  for  his  scholarly  goggles  hanging 
from  the  trousers  girdle.  The  trousers  them- 
selves are  baggy  and  are  gathered  in  below  the 
knees  with  a pair  of  cloth  leggings  tied  at  the 
ankles.  He  wears  a pair  of  stockings  padded 
with  cotton  batting.  On  his  feet  are  a pair  of  felt 
sandals  which  he  leaves  out  of  doors  whenever 
he  enters  a house.  This  is  the  picture  which  Mr. 
Pak  presents.  In  the  winter  he  wears  clothes 
padded  with  cotton,  including  an  overcoat,  and 
clinging  to  the  sides  of  his  head  a black  fur-edged 
covering  that  keeps  his  ears  warm.  Here  and 
there  you  see  a man  with  a coat  dyed  some  shade 
of  blue  or  green ; or  a black  coat  showing  white 
sleeves.  Silk  garments  are  seen  occasionall)\ 
The  laboring  classes  frequently  wear  for  a coat 
only  the  short  jacket;  their  working  trousers  fit 
more  closely  and  their  feet  are  shod  with  sandals 
of  straw  or  twine.  Koreans  sometimes  wear 
leather  sandals  and,  in  muddy  weather,  you  will 
see  wooden  shoes  raised  by  a couple  of  bits  of 
wood  three  inches  above  the  ground.  On  the 
chair-coolie’s  head  you  will  see  a round-crowned, 
wide-brimmed,  black  felt  hat.  Yonder  farmer, 
following  his  ox  laden  with  a towering  mass  of 
brush  for  firewood,  wears  on  his  head  a convex 
arrangement,  two  feet  in  diameter,  of  coarsely- 
woven  thin  strips  of  wood  which,  in  shape,  looks 
something  like  the  top  of  a circus  tent. 

Of  the  Koreans  it  may  be  said  that,  while  shar- 
ing in  many  of  the  characteristics  of  the  other 


A Gentleman  of  the  Old  School. 


HOW  THE  PEOPLE  LIVE 


49 


inhabitants  of  the  Far  East,  racially  they  are  a 
type  by  themselves.  In  height  they  average  fairly 
well  with  the  people  of  Northern  China.  The 
Korean  face  will  bear  study.  The  forehead, 
sufficiently  high,  shows  no  lack  of  brains.  The 
bright  black  eyes  are  slightly  almond-pinched  at 
the  corners.  The  nose  is  rather  low  and  flat,  and 
the  lips  are  full.  Another  type  of  features,  it  may 
be  remarked,  is  also  frequently  seen,  especially  in 
the  north  of  the  country,  in  which  the  eyes  are 
round  and  the  features  are  regular,  sometimes  even 
delicately  chiseled ; but  the  black  hair  and  black 
eyes  are  practically  universal.  Mr.  Pak  wears  a 
thin  mustache  and  a few  straggling  hairs  adorn 
his  chin — no  need  for  him  to  shave  every  day,  for 
the  simple  reason  that  the  Koreans,  with  few 
exceptions,  have  nothing  or  almost  nothing  on 
their  faces  to  require  the  use  of  a razor. 

The  Korean  houses  are  peculiar.  Generically 
they  may  be  divided  into  two  classes — those  roofed 
with  a deep  thatch  of  rice  straw,  seen  almost 
universally  in  the  country  villages,  and  those 
covered  with  a black-tiled  roof,  usually  on  the 
homes  of  the  well-to-do.  With  the  exception  of 
a very  few  government  and  business  buildings 
the  houses  are  all  one-story  structures.  The 
framework  of  a Korean  roof  is  so  cleverly  mor- 
tised together  that  not  a nail  is  required  in  its  con- 
struction. In  the  support  of  this  framework,  with 
its  burden  of  thatch,  or  tiles  set  in  loose  earth, 
well-planed  logs  of  wood  cross  the  rooms  over- 


so  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 

head,  and  these  rest  in  turn  on  wooden  pillars 
erected  at  intervals  of  eight  feet.  The  tiled  roofs 
are  gracefully  curved  upward  at  the  corners,  and 
both  varieties  of  roof  project  three  or  four  feet 
beyond  the  building  proper.  In  the  construction 
of  the  walls  a wicker  work  of  twigs  is  woven,  and 
over  this  mud  is  plastered,  making  an  adobe  wall, 
which,  however,  is  occasionally  faced  with  stone. 
The  windows  are  double.  The  outside  ones 
are  latticed  and  swing  on  rude  hinges,  while  the 
inner  ones  slide  in  grooves,  and  both  sets  are 
covered  with  tough  paper  that  admits  a dim  light, 
though  inserted  in  them  may  occasionally  be  seen 
a single  pane  or  bit  of  glass.  In  making  their 
floors  the  Koreans  have  hit  upon  quite  an  eco- 
nomical mode  of  heating  their  rooms,  although  it 
is  death  to  ventilation.  By  the  use  of  stone  and 
mud,  perhaps  six  parallel  flues  are  built  up,  which 
converge  at  each  end  into  an  opening  leading 
outside,  one  into  the  chimney,  the  other  into  the 
fireplace.  These  flues  are  covered  over  with 
matched  stone  slabs,  and  a smooth  coating  of  mud 
is  laid  over  all.  When  this  has  been  well  dried, 
in  many  cases  two  layers  of  paper,  of  which  the 
upper  one  is  thick  and  well  saturated  with  oil,  are 
neatly  pasted  over  the  floor.  The  walls  and  ceil- 
ing of  the  room  may  or  may  not  be  covered  with 
wall-paper,  generally  white.  At  least  one  room 
has  its  fireplace  so  constructed  that  a couple 
of  round,  shallow  iron  kettles  for  boiling  rice  or 
heating  water  may  be  fastened  into  them.  For 


HOW  THE  PEOPLE  LIVE 


$i 

fuel  they  bum  chopped  wood,  pine  brush  or  hay. 
In  cool  weather  a dish  of  coals  is  always  in  evi- 
dence to  warm  the  hands  and  to  light  the  pipes.  I 
have  had  some  experience  with  Korean  floors.  In 
my  country  trips,  following  the  native  custom,  at 
night  I simply  spread  my  sleeping  arrangements 
on  the  floor,  well  sprinkled,  however,  with  “insect 
powder.”  In  a Korean’s  case,  let  me  remark, 
they  would  consist  of  a small  wooden  block  for 
a pillow,  a quilt,  and  possibly  a thin  mattress. 
If  in  a room  where  the  amount  of  fuel  used  in 
heating  the  stones  under  you  can  be  regulated, 
you  experience  only  a genial  glow  running  up 
and  down  your  spine;  but  take  the  case  of  a Ko- 
rean inn  where  under  you  rolls  the  fire  used  to  cook 
the  food  of  a dozen  men,  and  you  feel  like  a trout 
in  the  skillet.  In  whatever  other  ways  Korean 
houses  differ,  one  feature  they  have  in  common — 
there  is  always  a square  or  rectangular  inner 
court,  carefully  shielded  from  the  gaze  of  the 
public  by  buildings  and  high  walls.  Within  this 
court  are  jars  of  food  and  a little  bed  of  flowers. 
The  living-rooms  are  generally  on  two  sides  of  the 
court.  There  is  the  black,  smoke-stained  kitchen, 
containing  the  fireplace  with  the  iron  pots  men- 
tioned above.  Here  are  also  cooking  utensils, 
and  yonder,  not  unlikely,  bundles  of  fuel  piled  upon 
the  floor  of  earth.  Next  to  this  is  a sleeping  and 
living  room,  possibly  capable  of  subdivision  with 
sliding,  paper-covered  doors.  At  right  angles  to 
this  sleeping-room  is  a wide,  enclosed  porch  with 


52 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


a wooden  floor,  completely  open  on  the  side  of  the 
court.  Here  the  bowls  of  crockery  or  brass  are 
stored  in  brass-trimmed  cupboards  and  the  din- 
ing-tables are  stacked,  and  here  the  women,  in 
suitable  weather,  pass  the  most  of  their  monot- 
onous existence,  seated  upon  the  well-polished 
floor,  for  chairs  are  not  used  by  Koreans.  Indeed, 
the  only  other  article  of  furniture  seen  is  an 
occasional  painted  or  embroidered  screen  or  chest 
more  or  less  decorated,  or  possibly  a greasy  lamp- 
stand  holding  the  little  bowl  of  vegetable  oil  with 
a bit  of  wick  resting  on  the  edge.  Some,  how- 
ever, especially  in  the  ports,  use  little  kero- 
sene lamps.  Then  on  the  other  side  of  the 
porch  will  be  another  living-room  with  flues 
under  the  floor.  Next  the  kitchen,  or  on  the 
third  side  of  the  court  will  be  a shed  or  two,  with 
native  locks  and  ring-and-staple  fastenings  on  the 
doors.  On  the  fourth  side  is  the  “sarang,”  a 
room  with  openings  outside,  where  the  male 
friends  of  the  man  of  the  house  congregate,  with 
never  a thought  of  venturing  in  to  see  the  ladies 
of  the  house.  Furthermore,  it  is  not  considered 
polite  for  the  gentlemen  to  ask  much  about  them. 
One  curious  fact  is  that  in  the  country  none  but 
members  of  the  aristocratic  class  are  allowed  to 
have  little  verandas  on  the  outside  of  their  sar- 
angs. 

Dinner  is  announced,  and  the  little  square  or 
round  tables,  twelve  inches  high,  are  found  steam- 
ing in  the  porch  of  the  inner  quarters,  or  if  friends 


HOW  THE  PEOPLE  LIVE 


53 


of  the  host  are  out  in  the  “sarang”  two  or  three 
laden  tables  will  be  passed  in  for  them  at  a 
window.  Everyone  gets  down  upon  the  floor 
in  the  usual  Korean  sitting  posture,  cross-legged 
like  a tailor,  sometimes  one  and  sometimes  two 
at  a table.  The  first  course,  if  the  occasion  be  an 
especial  one,  is  a bowl  of  soup.  The  heaping 
bowl  of  rice  is  then  discussed,  either  with  the  brass 
spoon  or  chop -sticks.  And  the  chop-sticks  de- 
scend every  now  and  then  upon  the  contents  of  the 
little  side  dishes,  the  brine-soaked  “mu,”  or  turnip, 
the  bits  of  dried  fish  or  meats,  a species  of  sauer- 
kraut composed  of  cabbage,  shrimp, ginger,  onion, 
red  pepper,  salt,  etc.,  with  an  occasional  dip  into 
the  bean  sauce  (ala  Worcestershire).  For  liquid 
food  he  drinks  cold  water,  or  the  water  in  which 
the  rice  has  been  cooked.  Poor  people  often  eat 
with  their  rice  only  the  sauerkraut  or  pickled 
turnip.  Korean  etiquette  allows  much  smacking 
of  the  lips  while  eating;  but  if  dining  out  in  the 
sarang,  in  the  presence  of  a visitor,  politeness 
requires  him  either  to  offer  him  food  or  excuse 
himself  for  eating.  Koreans  also  eat  with  the 
rapidity  of  a traveler  at  a railway  lunch  counter, 
or  a table  full  of  threshers. 

Linguistically  the  Koreans  are  furnished  with 
a language  that  takes  second  place  to  neither 
the  Chinese  nor  Japanese  languages  in  difficulty 
of  acquisition.  The  young  Westerner  entering 
upon  its  mastery  has  just  one  thing  in  his  favor — 
he  does  not  know  what  he  is  getting  into.  Three 


54 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


modes  of  expression  are  in  use  among  the  Ko- 
reans— the  colloquial,  the  book  language  and  the 
Chinese  written  characters.  Let  us  first  notice 
the  colloquial — the  language  of  the  people — which, 
when  reduced  to  writing,  is  known  as  the 
“Unmun.”  The  Unmun  alphabet  comprises 
twenty-eight  letters,  which  are  combined  in  syl- 
lables that  are  written  one  under  the  other  in  ver- 
tical columns  and  are  read  from  the  back  end  to 
the  front  of  the  book.  Korean  scholars  affect  to 
despise  this  style  of  writing,  its  use  in  former 
years  having  been  confined  largely  to  the  printing 
of  flashy  novels,  though  of  late  its  use  in  the 
printing  of  missionary  literature  and  certain 
newspapers  has  helped  to  give  it  dignity.  Struc- 
turally the  colloquial  may  be  terme^d  agglutinative. 
Many  of  the  root  forms  are  derived  from  the 
Chinese.  The  noun  endings  rival  the  Greek  in 
number,  though  used  rather  carelessly  in  ordinary 
conversation.  The  verbal  endings  mount  into  the 
hundreds,  and  prepositions,  conjunctions  and 
endings  that  mean  the  same  as  our  marks  of 
punctuation  have  a way  of  sticking  to  the  root 
formations.  One  thing  which  multiplies  the 
number  of  verbal  endings  is  the  custom  of  the 
country  that  gradations  in  age  and  social  position 
require  a varying  use  of  high,  low  and  middle 
forms.  A teacher  in  one  of  the  girls’  schools  in 
Seoul  one  day  found  two  of  her  little  girls  in  a 
violent  quarrel  over  the  question  of  which  should 
use  high  language  to  the  other.  “I  am  the 


HOW  THE  PEOPLE  LIVE 


55 


older,”  cried  one;  ‘‘I  am  the  bigger,”  sobbed  the 
other. 

Second,  the  book  language,  after  the  manner  of 
Latinized  English,  is  largely  composed  of  words 
derived  from  the  Chinese.  It  is  written  in  the 
Unmun  character  and  is  used  in  a few  transla- 
tions of  the  Chinese  classics,  in  parallel  sections 
with  the  orginal.  It  is  also  employed  in  certain 
other  moral  writings. 

Third,  in  the  Chinese  characters  the  scholars 
read  the  literature  of  China,  and  do  their  letter 
writing.  All  government  documents  are  written 
or  printed  in  Chinese. 

Speaking  of  gradations  in  social  position,  cor- 
responding to  the  “literati”  in  China  and  the 
“samurai”  in  Japan,  the  Koreans  have  an  aristo- 
cratic class  know  as  “yangbans.”  They  are  the 
scholars,  the  possessors  of  blue  blood,  the  holders 
of  government  offices.  They  are  ardent  Con- 
fucianists  and  are  intensely  conservative. 
Among  their  own  class  they  are  hospitable  and 
punctiliously  polite.  The  poor  yangbans  have  a 
way  of  sponging  upon  their  more  fortunate  rela- 
tives and  friends.  They  let  their  finger-nails  grow 
long  to  show  their  contempt  for  labor,  and  they 
despise  the  classes  below  them  in  the  social  scale. 
I saw  a young  man  with  a stone  in  his  hand 
chase  another  man  all  over  a village  one  night, 
because  the  latter,  belonging  to  a lower  social 
grade  than  he,  had  dared  to  smoke  a pipe  in  his 
presence. 


56  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


Slavery  exists  in  a mild  form  in  the  country. 
For  the  most  part  slaves  are  attached  to  families 
as  bond-servants,  much  as  was  the  custom  in  Old 
Testament  times.  One  class  of  slaves  are  men 
and  are  the  hereditary  property  of  rich  nobles. 
In  another  class  the  women  alone  are  counted 
as  property,  and  can  redeem  themselves  or  secure 
their  freedom  by  leaving  in  their  place  an  able- 
bodied  daughter  in  the  state  of  bondage.  A third 
class  are  the  female  slaves  attached  to  magis- 
tracies— female  criminals,  or  the  wives  of  crim- 
inals. They  are  truly  to  be  pitied,  for  their 
degradation  passes  description. 

The  government  of  Korea  is  an  absolute  mon- 
archy. The  king,  however,  calls  to  his  assistance 
a council  of  state  composed  of  a chancellor  and 
various  ministers  and  councilors.  Certain  of  the 
departments  have  foreign  advisers,  two  of  whom, 
Dr.  J.  McLeavey  Brown,  adviser  to  the  finance 
department,  as  well  as  chief  commissioner  of  the 
customs  service,  and  General  C.  G.  Greathouse, 
the  former  U.  S.  Consul  General  at  Yokohama 
and  present  adviser  to  the  law  department,  have 
of  late  rendered  distinguished  service  to  the  Ko- 
rean Government.  The  Korean  troops  in  Seoul 
are  at  present  under  the  instruction  of  three  com- 
missioned and  ten  non-commissioned  Russian 
officers.  Each  of  the  thirteen  provinces  has  its 
governor,  with  a proper  number  of  assistants; 
and  each  of  the  339  magistracies  in  these  provinces 
has  its  magistrate  with  a force  of  writers  and 


HOW  THE  PEOPLE  LIVE 


57 


runners.  Every  village  has  its  head,  generally 
an  old  man.  Official  honesty  is  apparently  a 
thing  almost  unknown  in  Korea,  and  the  poor 
people  lead  a sorry  life;  for  not  only  must  the 
regular  taxes  be  paid,  but  they  are  subject  to  the 
further  exactions  of  officials,  runners,  inspectors, 
policemen,  soldiers,  not  to  mention  the  bands  of 
robbers  that  roam  the  country  every  winter  and 
spring.  Much  of  the  so-called  laziness  of  the 
Koreans  is  simply  apathy,  produced  by  the  inse- 
curity of  property  rights.  With  the  exception  of 
a few  rich  merchants  and  men  who  own  large 
estates  in  the  country,  the  great  mass  of  the 
people  are  very  poor  and  they  live  a hand-to- 
mouth  existence  upon  a scale  which  Westerners 
would  consider  impossible.  Day  laborers,  when 
they  can  get  work,  receive  per  day  an  amount 
equivalent  to  from  ten  to  fourteen  cents  of  our 
money, . and  upon  this  support  their  families. 
Money  goes  further  there,  however,  the  unit  of 
their  coinage  being  'the  “five  cash”  piece,  a 
round  brass  coin  with  a hole  in  the  center,  worth 
about  one  tenth  of  an  American  cent. 

But  if  the  Koreans  have  their  troubles,  they  also 
have  their  pleasures.  They  are  great  lovers  of 
nature,  and  live  out  of  doors  much  of  the  year. 
The  men  are  fond  of  picnics.  Several  scholars 
will  go  to  some  picturesque  spot  and  there  com- 
pose spring  poetry  in  Chinese.  Or  a party  will 
spend  hours  in  the  practice  of  archery,  at  which 
they  are  quite  skillful.  If  you  happen  to  be  in  the 


58  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


country  upon  the  occasion  of  a spring  or  fall  holi- 
day, you  will  hear  the  rhythmical  clang  of  a brass 
gong,  the  staccato  note  of  a tambourine  beaten 
with  a stick,  or  possibly  the  shrill  tones  of  a 
brass  clarionet.  Drawing  near  you  will  see  a 
circle  of  young  men  and  half-grown  boys  dancing, 
some  of  whom,  perhaps,  are  dressed  in  female 
attire.  At  a certain  time  each  spring  the  Ko- 
reans indulge  in  stone  fights,  a rather  rough  kind 
of  sport.  Two  sides  face  each  other  with  leaders 
wearing  padded  hats  and  carrying  clubs.  These 
skirmish  awhile  with  an  occasional  interchange  of 
blows,  and  then  the  two  sides  rain  stones  at  each 
other,  much  like  a snow-ball  fight.  Presently,  with 
a mighty  roar,  one  side  begins  to  drive  the  other 
back.  Spectators  catch  the  enthusiasm  and  join 
the  attacking  force.  The  fun  waxes  fast  and 
furious — so  furious  that  not  infrequently  some 
one  is  maimed  or  killed.  Nothing  that  I have 
seen  in  Korea  has  given  me  such  an  impression 
of  the  latent  force  and  fire  in  the  usually  apathetic 
Korean  as  this  somewhat  brutal  sport. 

Magistracies  often  keep  a native  orchestra. 
“Keesangs,”  or  dancing  girls,  handsome,  edu- 
cated, dissolute,  whose  art  consists  largely  in  pos- 
turing, enliven  the  feasts  of  the  official  class.  Old 
men  while  away  the  time  playing  a native  game 
resembling  chess.  It  must  sadly  be  admitted  that 
Koreans  have  their  vices.  Lying  is  universal. 
Generations  of  practice  have  given  them  a won- 
derful skill  in  the  art.  Business  men  continually 


HOW  THE  PEOPLE  LIVE 


59 


cheat  and  overreach  in  their  business  transac- 
tions. A friend  of  mine,  now  a worthy  Christian, 
told  me  that  formerly  his  thought  every  morning 
as  he  awoke  used  to  be,  How  can  I cheat  someone 
today?  and  that  attitude  of  mind,  I am  led  to 
believe,  is  common  to  a large  class  of  Koreans. 
In  spite  of  heavy  penalties,  stealing  is  frightfully 
common.  Professional  thieves  carry  great  knives, 
and  are  handy  in  their  use.  Gambling,  in  spite  of 
severe  punitive  laws,  is  widely  practiced.  Our 
harmless  dominoes  in  Korea  are  used  only  for 
gaming  purposes.  Cards  are  also  used  that  are 
long  strips  of  cardboard  the  width  of  one’s  finger, 
bearing  Chinese  characters.  Men  become  so 
frenzied  with  the  gaming  passion  that,  after 
losing  everything  else,  they  are  known  to  stake 
and  even  lose  their  wives  into  slavery.  The 
drink  curse  is  widely  prevalent  in  Korea.  The 
liquors  are  of  two  kinds ; one  white  and  thick,  the 
other  a clear  liquid.  They  are  made  from  rice, 
barley  or  wheat.  Saloons  are  frequent,  with 
sauerkraut  and  liquor  for  sale.  Maudlin  sots  or 
drunken  brawls,  with  men  tugging  at  each  other’s 
top-knots  are,  alas!  a common  sight  upon  the 
streets.  Their  thought  is  low-planed.  The 
social  vice  prevails,  and  vice  that  is  unspeakable. 
In  a word,  the  Koreans  have  every  vice  possi- 
ble to  a mild-mannered,  heathen  nation,  with  the 
one  exception  of  the  smoking  of  opium.  Let  us 
turn  to  a subject  more  pleasing — the  woman  of 
Korea.  She  is  frequently  good-looking.  She 


6o 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


parts  her  glossy  hair  in  the  middle  and  combs  it 
straight  back,  arranging  it  in  a coil  behind, 
at  the  base  of  the  head,  through  which  she  thrusts 
an  ornamental  rod  some  six  inches  long,  fre- 
quently made  of  silver.  Her  clothes  are  much 
like  the  men’s,  with  trousers,  padded  stockings 
and  sandals;  but  the  jacket  is  very  short,  and 
she  wears  in  addition  an  overskirt,  high-waisted 
and  reaching  to  within  a few  inches  of  the 
ground.  A jaunty  little  cap  with  broad  ribbons 
hanging  behind  is  sometimes  worn.  In  probably 
no  respect  does  the  life  in  heathen  countries  and 
in  the  lands  that  have  felt  the  uplift  of  Gospel 
truth  show  so  marked  a contrast  as  in  the  posi- 
tion that  is  given  to  their  women.  In  Korea, 
except  where  the  influence  of  the  missionaries 
has  been  felt,  no  man  thinks  of  educating  his 
daughters.  Nearly  every  village  has  a Chinese 
school  for  boys ; but  not  one  for  girls.  With  the 
exception  of  a very  few  rare  instances,  such  as 
the  lamented  queen,  no  women  outside  of  the 
keesang  class  have  received  a mental  training. 
Here  and  there  a woman  can  read  Unmun.  “Cus- 
tom, ” hoary  with  age,  that  arch-enemy  of  all 
originality  and  progress,  in  Korea  as  in  other  parts 
of  the  Orient,  fetters  the  people  even  to  the 
minutest  details  of  their  life ; and  custom  requires 
that  the  Korean  women  lead  a life  of  great  seclu- 
sion. From  the  time  that  the  child  first  buds  into 
the  maiden  until  her  face  wears  the  tracery  of 
old  age,  the  respectable  Korean  woman  is  largely 


HOW  THE  PEOPLE  LIVE  6i 

a prisoner  within  the  four  walls  of  the  court  of 
the  women’s  quarters.  Let  it  be  noted  that  the 
women  in  country  villages,  middle-aged  women 
of  the  lower  class,  and  Christian  women  in  their 
attendance  upon  church  meetings  allow  them- 
selves greater  freedom  of  movement.  Occasionally 
on  the  streets  may  be  seen  a woman’s  closed 
sedan  chair,  with  dangling,  fan-like  little  red 
ornaments,  and  with  a couple  of  coolies  striding 
between  the  chair  poles.  Or  again  a few  women 
will  be  seen  with  long  green  cloaks  or  white 
skirts  drawn  over  their  heads  so  closely  that  of 
their  features  only  a shining  black  eye  is  visible. 
But  these  occasional  visits  to  the  houses  of 
relatives  or  friends  are  generally  paid  at  night. 
In  what  a narrow  world  do  they  pass  their  lives! 
And  then  the  women  are  universally  spirit- 
worshipers,  and  live  in  constant  dread  of  evil 
spirits.  In  view  of  these  facts,  can  we  wonder 
that  the  habitual  thinking  of  Korean  women  is 
petty,  or  superstitious,  or  vulgar?  Poor  things! 

It  is  easy  to  see,  then,  what  a mental,  moral  and 
spiritual  uplift  the  Gospel  message  brings  to  the 
women  of  the  country. 

The  girl  is  married  when  a mere  child,  between 
the  ages  of  twelve  and  sixteen,  to  a youth  she  has 
never  known,  and,  as  is  the  case  in  China,  comes 
under  the  sway  of  her  mother-in-law.  If  her 
mother-in-law  is  kind  and  her  husband  is  good  to 
her,  a fair  measure  of  home  happiness  awaits  her. 
But  the  customs  of  the  country  all  favor  the 


62 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


married  man  rather  than  the  married  woman. 
He  may  divorce  her  upon  any  one  of  seven 
grounds — such,  for  instance,  as  inability  to  live  at 
peace  with  her  mother-in-law,  or  the  absence  of 
little  ones  from  the  home  circle,  especially  the 
boys  so  necessary  for  the  continuance  of  the 
ancestral  worship.  Then  again,  Confucianism 
throws  its  semi-religious  sanction  over  the 
practice  of  the  men’s  taking  secondary  wives  or 
concubines.  Large  numbers  of  men  in  the  middle 
and  upper  classes  therefore  take  one  or  more  con- 
cubines, whom  they  keep  either  in  the  same  house, 
or  in  a separate  building  not  far  away,  or  in 
another  village.  As  the  man  has  some  choice  in 
these  secondary  attachments,  it  is  very  apt  to  be 
the  case  that  the  poor  first  wife  has  the  respect- 
ability and  the  concubine  has  the  love.  Once 
again,  marriage  customs  bear  heavily  upon  the 
women,  in  that  it  is  not  considered  respectable 
for  a widow  to  marry  again ; although  it  is  to  be 
admitted  that  many  a young  widow,  rather  than 
face  the  burdens  of  life,  becomes  a concubine. 

In  the  country,  women  are  allowed  much  social 
freedom.  I always  like  to  watch  a company  of 
them  hulling  rice.  The  machine  consists  of  a 
piece  of  timber  shaped  like  a two-tined  fork,  and 
is  hung  on  a pivot,  with  a cross-piece  on  the 
handle  end  that  forms  a hammer  to  pound  the 
rice.  One  woman  feeds  the  hole,  where  the  ham- 
mer strikes,  with  unhulled  rice.  Then  the  bevy 
of  women  take  hold  of  the  straw  ropes  hanging 


HOW  THE  PEOPLE  LIVE 


63 


in  the  shed;  they  step  upon  the  two  prongs  and 
the  hammer  end  rises;  they  step  off  and  the  ham- 
mer falls.  Step  on,  step  off.  Chatter  and  laugh- 
ter make  the  air  melodious.  Let  us  further  con- 
sider the  pursuits  of  the  women.  Korean  house- 
wives are  accomplished  needle-women.  The 
mode  of  washing  and  ironing  clothes  is  peculiar. 
Before  washing,  the  seams  are  ripped  and  the 
clothes  are  taken  to  pieces.  Then  beside  the  well, 
or  the  brook  outside  the  city,  women  of  the  lower 
classes  or  the  servants  of  the  rich  beat  the  clothes 
into  whiteness  with  flat  wooden  paddles.  Iron- 
ing is  done  in  the  inner  quarters  of  the  house, 
frequently  into  the  small  hours  of  the  night.  The 
ironing  is  done  with  a large  wooden  roller  that 
may  or  may  not  be  laid  on  a smooth  block  of 
stone.  Two  or  four  ironing-sticks,  like  police- 
men’s clubs,  are  used,  depending  upon  whether 
one  or  two  women  do  the  ironing.  The  pieces 
of  cloth  are  laid  about  the  roller  and,  with  a rhyth- 
mical tapping  not  unpleasant  to  hear,  the  clothes 
are  beaten  stiff  and  smooth.  Each  autumn  the 
thrifty  housewife  puts  down  great  jars  of  “sauer- 
kraut” and  pickled  turnip  for  the  winter  use  of 
the  family. 

Little  children  in  Korea  certainly  lead  a happy 
life ; for  whatever  their  other  faults  Korean  men 
and  women  love  their  little  children  and  are  kind 
to  them.  These  little  ones  ride  astride  of  the 
backs  of  father,  or  mother,  or  the  six-year-old 
brother  or  sister.  In  summer  they  toddle  about. 


64  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


as  someone  has  remarked,  “dressed  in  nothing 
but  a hair  ribbon,”  or  at  most  a short,  quilted 
jacket.  When  the  New  Year’s  season  arrives,  in 
February,  their  fond  mothers  deck  them  out  with 
every  kind  of  gayly-colored  clothes.  Would  that 
they  might  always  remain  so  innocent  and  happy ! 

The  small  boy  in  Korea  is  much  like  the  small 
boy  everywhere ; his  business  in  life  is  to  play. 
He  makes  a small  hoop  with  a handle  and  fills 
it  full  with  a mass  of  cobwebs.  Then  with  it  he 
catches  insects.  Or  again,  you  will  see  him  with 
the  end  of  a string  tied  about  some  large  insect 
which  he  allows  to  fly  to  the  .end  of  its  tether. 
In  one  or  two  instances  I have  seen  him  with  a 
centipede  on  the  end  of  a string.  I am  sorry  to 
say  he  sometimes  gambles,  pitching  “cash”  at  a 
mark.  At  the  New  Year’s  season  the  sky  is 
bright  with  his  tailless  kites,  made  square  with  a 
hole  in  the  middle.  The  string*  is  wound  on  a 
four-armed  reel  that  has  something  of  the  shape 
of  the  reel  of  a binder,  only  it  has  a long 
handle  on  one  side  fastened  into  the  hub.  The 
boy,  grasping  the  handle  with  one  hand  and  a 
corner  of  one  of  the  arms  with  the  other,  twirls 
this  reel  backward  and  forward  very  skillfully 
and  makes  his  kite  go  about  the  heavens  in  any 
way  he  pleases.  With  these  kites  they  fight, 
crossing  strings  in  the  effort  to  saw  each  other’s 
string  in  two.  And  the  custom  is  that  the  kite 
that  floats  helplessly  away  anyone  may  keep 
who  can  catch  the  severed  string.  Girls  are  fond 


HOW  THE  PEOPLE  LIVE 


65 


of  playing  at  see-saw.  A bag  full  of  sand  perhaps 
a foot  high  is  set  on  the  ground.  Across  this  is 
laid  a plank.  Stretched  alongside,  at  a proper 
height  for  the  children  to  grasp  and  steady  them- 
selves, is  a rope.  Two  girls  stand  erect  upon  the 
ends.  One  gives  an  upward  spring  and,  as  she 
alights  on  the  board,  gives  the  other  an  upward 
toss,  who,  as  she  alights  in  turn,  throws  the  first 
girl  aloft  a little  higher.  And  so  the  sport  goes 
on,  until  in  their  upward  flight  each  girl  is  thrown 
two  or  three  feet  into  the  air.  Frequent  rests 
are  necessary,  but  the  sport  is  the  occasion  of 
much  glee.  In  the  springtime  swings  are  set  up, 
which  boys  and  girls  alike  enjoy.  But  the  chil- 
dren must  work  as  well  as  play.  Many  of  the  boys 
go  to  school  to  learn  to  read  and  write  Chinese. 
Other  boys  in  the  country  must  trim  branches 
from  the  pine  shrubs  or  rake  the  grass  on  the  hill 
sides  to  bind  into  great  bundles  of  fuel,  or  scare 
the  armies  of  English  sparrows  away  f rom  the 
yellow  rice  fields ; while  the  girls  must  learn  to 
cook  and  do  fine  needle-work.  Although  Korean 
children  show  great  outward  respect  to  their  par- 
ents and  to  elderly  people,  I do  not  think  that  they 
are  trained  to  obey  very  well.  Respectful  greet- 
ings upon  the  part  of  children  to  older  people  are, 
in  the  case  of  the  boy,  a complete  prostration  with 
the  hands  on  the  ground  and  the  forehead  rest- 
ing on  the  hands ; the  girl  sinks  downward  in  a 
courtesy  till  her  finger  tips  touch  the  floor ; she 
then  steadily  rises,  folds  her  left  hand  beneath 


66 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


her  right  arm  and  slowly  sinks  down  as  before. 
All  boys  and  bachelors  wear  their  hair  in  a 
braid  down  the  back.  When  the  latter  marries  he 
is  allowed  to  put  up  his  hair  and  wear  a hat.  I 
have  been  amused  when  sitting  in  a sarang  with 
a group  of  men  to  see  a slip  of  a boy  with  his  hair 
done  up  in  a top-knot  enter,  and  note  how  respect- 
ful they  were ; a moment  later  a fine,  sturdy  young 
man,  perhaps  twenty-five  years  of  age,  with  a 
braid  down  his  back,  appeared,  and  they  all  used 
low  talk  to  him.  The  one  was  married,  and  the 
other  was  not.  Korean  men  have  three  names,  a 
boy  name,  often  an  opprobrious  term, like  “pig,”  so 
that  the  spirits  may  not  become  jealous  of  the 
honor  shown  him.  The  second  and  third  are  men’s 
names,  given  when  his  hair  is  put  up  at  the 
time  of  his  marriage ; one  by  which  he  is  to  be 
known  familiarly  among  his  friends,  the  other 
his  formal,  legal  name.  Girls  have  pretty  names, 
meaning  plum-blossom,  treasure,  etc.  After 
their  marriage  they  are  known  only  as  so-and-so’s 
wife  or  the  mother  of  so-and-so. 

Just  a word  now  about  some  of  the  character- 
istics of  the  Koreans.  They  are  by  nature  rather 
a kindly  people,  and  they  treat  us  foreigners  on 
the  whole  with  much  respect.  It  shows  itself  in 
such  ways  as  this:  A foreigner  enters  one  of  the 
tortuous  lanes  in  which  Seoul  abounds,  and 
which  happens  to  be  closed.  Immediately  a man 
or  a small  boy  steps  forward,  politely  explains 
that  you  cannot  go  that  way  and  promptly  points 


HOW  THE  PEOPLE  LIVE 


67 


out  to  you  the  proper  road,  and  that,  too,  with  no 
apparent  thought  of  remuneration.  With  all  their 
many  and  glaring  faults,  one  readily  learns  to  love 
the  Koreans.  They  are  a hospitable  people  and 
can  be  exceedingly  polite.  Their  politeness,  too, 
has  a certain  manly  tone  about  it  that  one  likes. 
They  are  a leisure-loving  people,  full  of  curi- 
osity and  fond  of  sight-seeing.  Men  will  some- 
times leave  their  families  and  be  gone  from  home 
for  months  wandering  about  the  country.  Time 
is  no  object  to  them.  Their  actual  knowledge 
of  the  world  they  live  in  being  small,  and  news- 
papers, until  the  last  few  years,  being  non-exist- 
ent, their  minds  have  been  immensely  interested 
with  very  petty  things.  For  instance,  men  sitting 
by  the  roadside  can  tell  every  mark  on  a horse 
that  has  recently  passed  by.  News  has  a wonderful 
way  of  traveling  from  mouth  to  mouth.  Let  a 
foreigner  go  down  into  the  country  to  a certain 
place  and  by  nightfall  every  village  within  a ra- 
dius of  twenty  miles  is  discussing  him  and  all  the 
particulars  connected  with  his  arrival.  It  is  inter- 
esting to  watch  two  Koreans  engaged  in  a dis- 
pute, for  instance,  over  a business  transaction. 
Their  voices  are  high  pitched ; they  gesticulate 
violently;  they  fairly  rage  at  each  other.  One 
unaccustomed  to  their  ways  expects  an  immediate 
casualty  of  at  least  a broken  skull.  But  as  Mr. 
Gale  remarks,  only  a few  minutes  elapse  before 
they  are  seated  at  each  end  of  a piazza  quietly 
smoking  their  pipes.  I have  noticed  something 


68  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


similar  in  the  scoldings  fathers  give  their  sons. 
The  tones  of  the  reproof  were  fairly  blood-curd- 
ling. A moment  later  and  the  furious  parent  was 
as  placid  as  a moonlit  lake.  A Korean  gentleman 
rarely  scolds  other  men ; he  lets  his  servant  do  it 
for  him.  This  suggests  another  trait.  Koreans, 
especially  of  the  upper  clases,  have  a distaste  for 
unpleasant  things ; and  if  they  have  a hard  thing 
to  do  or  say  they  invariably  get  a third  party  to 
do  it  for  them,  wherever  it  is  possible.  Koreans 
who  have  learned  to  read  a book  or  two  in 
Chinese  are  apt  to  be  inordinately  conceited.  As 
in  China,  a selfish  individualism  is  only  too  char- 
acteristic of  the  great  mass  of  the  people.  No 
man  receives  credit  for  being  disinterested  in  any- 
thing he  does.  Patriotism  and  public  spirit  are 
practically  undeveloped  qualities  in  the  minds  of 
the  Koreans.  In  political  life  there  is  incessant 
intrigue  on  the  part  of  those  out  of  office  to  dis- 
place by  fair  means  or  foul  the  holders  of  govern- 
ment position ; and  once  in  office  their  principal 
thought  is  that  of  the  boa-constrictor — the  desire  to 
“squeeze”  the  people.  Let  it  be  noted,  however, 
that  there  is  now  a small  progressive  party  in  Ko- 
rea that  finds  its  inspiration  largely  in  a number 
of  young  men  who  have  either  held  official  position 
or  studied  for  a number  of  years  in  the  United 
States.  Their  mouth-piece  is  the  Independent^ 
,a  tri-weekly  newspaper  published  in  the  ver- 
nacular by  Phillip  Jaisohn,  M.D.,  an  able  young 
Korean  nobleman,  medically  educated  in  the 


HOW  THE  PEOPLE  LIVE 


69 


United  States,  who  has  held  a position  in  one 
of  the  departments  in  Washington  as  an  expert  in 
microscopy,  is  a member  of  a Presbyterian  church 
in  Washington,  is  a naturalized  American  citizen, 
and  is  married  to  an  American  wife.  At  present, 
in  addition  to  publishing  two  newspapers,  one  in 
Korean  and  one  in  English,  he  holds  the  position 
of  adviser  to  the  Department  of  Agriculture  and 
Commerce. 

One  who  knows  the  Korean  people,  in  spite 
of  all  that  has  been  or  can  be  said  of  their 
faults  and  vices,  and  of  their  listless  apathy,  so 
largely  the  result  of  the  conditions  under  which 
they  live,  cannot  help  feeling  that  they  have  in 
them  the  capacity  for  a high  development  when 
once  the  truths  of  the  Gospel  have  permeated  the 
mass  of  the  people  and  when  they  can  live  in 
security  of  life  and  property,  under  wise  laws 
righteously  administered. 


CHAPTER  IV 


A WEDDING  IN  KOREA 

Among  most  peoples  the  wedding  forms  one  of 
the  most  notable  events  in  social  life,  and  the 
Koreans  are  no  exception  to  the  rule.  One  bright 
morning  in  March,  several  years  ago,  we  were 
informed  that  an  opportunity  was  afforded  us  to 
witness  a wedding  conducted  according  to  the 
Korean  custom.  The  invitation  was  promptly 
accepted. 

In  company  with  two  friends  I took  my  way  to 
a Korean  hut  near  the  wall,  where  a youth  and 
his  betrothed  were  about  to  make  their  bows  to 
each  other.  Just  as  we  arrived,  the  good-natured, 
round-faced  fellow  was  donning  his  outer  robes 
in  an  open  space  in  front  of  the  house. 

According  to  Korean  custom,  he  wore  a cos- 
tume like  that  which  officials  wear  in  royal  audi- 
ences— one  which  he  had  hired  for  the  occasion. 
The  robe  was  a dark  green,  and  bore  “placques” 
with  a pair  of  embroidered  storks  on  the  breast 
and  back.  About  the  wearer,  like  a hoop,  was 
the  black  enameled  belt,  and  on  his  head  was  a 
“palace-going”  hat  with  wings  on  its  sides,  and 
finally  he  got  himself  into  shoes  that  looked  like 
“arctic”  overshoes,  two  or  three  sizes  too  large 
for  him. 


70 


A WEDDING  IN  KOREA 


71 


At  last  he  was  ready  to  go  indoors.  An  attend- 
ant preceded  him  with  a red,  flat-brimmed  hat  on 
his  head,  about  his  neck  a string  of  beads,  and  in 
his  arms  a goose.  The  goose’s  feet  were  tied, 
and  fastened  through  her  beak  was  a little  skein 
of  red  silk.  In  the  two  marched — three  perhaps 
I ought  to  say.  The  court  of  the  house  had  an 
awning  of  gunny-sacking  suspended  over  it.  Here 
a red  table  stood,  with  two  red  ornaments  on  it 
which  looked  like  tall  candlesticks,  or  sealed 
vases.  The  court  was  full  of  Korean  men, 
women  and  children. 

In  front  of  the  table  the  bridegroom  bowed  two 
or  three  times  in  the  performance  of  a religious 
ceremony.  And  singular  bowing  it  was.  He 
gently  lowered  himself  upon  his  knees,  and  then 
bringing  forward  his  hands  upon  the  mat,  he 
bowed  till  his  head  touched  the  back  of  his  hands. 
Then  gracefully  he  resumed  the  standing  pos- 
ture. The  last  time  he  bowed  he  sank  with  the 
goose  in  his  arms.  I am  told  that  the  goose  is 
the  symbol  of  fidelity  in  Korea,  it  being  popularly 
believed  that  if  a wild  goose  dies  its  spouse  never 
mates  again. 

By  special  invitation  we  then  assumed  a position 
upon  the  porch  of  the  little  house,  facing  the 
court.  A mat  was  placed  upon  the  steps,  con- 
necting with  another  mat  on  the  porch.  Pres- 
ently the  groom  came  to  the  front  of  the  steps 
and  stood  there,  while  our  attention  was  called 
to  the  room  opening  upon  the  porch.  This  room 


73 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


was  filled  with  women,  mostly  young  and  more 
or  less  good-looking.  I had  caught  a peep  at  the 
bride  as  she  sat  on  a cushion.  ’ 

But  now  she  was  coming  out.  Two  middle- 
aged  women  accompanied  her,  each  holding  one 
of  the  bride’s  arms  and  guiding  her  steps,  for  her 
eyes  were  sealed  completely.  Clear  up  to  her  jetty 
hair,  the  face  of  the  petite  bride  was  painted  a 
ghastly  white.  In  the  middle  of  her  forehead 
and  of  each  cheek  were  painted  great,  round,  red 
spots ; her  lips  were  also  bright  red. 

Her  dress  consisted  of  a bright  green  waist  over 
a brilliant  red  skirt.  Fastened  through  the  coil 
of  hair  on  the  back  of  her  smoothly  combed  head 
was  a hair-pin,  consisting  of  an  ornamental  rod, 
perhaps  fifteen  inches  long.  I remember  it,  for  I 
almost  got  caught  on  it,  in  brushing  by  her  later 
on. 

Upon  her  head  was  a crown-like  cushion,  sur- 
mounted by  half  a dozen  nodding  sticks  of  beads, 
possibly  three  inches  long.  Down  her  back  hung 
two  broad  brown  ribbons,  caught  together  with 
two  ornaments,  one  a smooth,  rectangular  red 
stone,  and  the  other  a rosette  of  white  jade,  a 
stone  precious  in  the  East. 

This  little,  painted,  gorgeous  creature  was 
guided  out,  as  I have  said,  by  two  middle-aged 
women.  Across  the  mat  they  went,  and  at  the 
end  of  the  porch  they  turned  the  little  bride  about, 
and  laid  over  her  clasped  hands  a white  handker- 
chief. 


A WEDDING  IN  KOREA 


73 


The  groom  now  stepped  to  the  other  end  of  the 
mat  and  the  principal  part  of  the  wedding  cere- 
mony began.  The  bride  made  her  bows.  The 
attendants  raised  her  arms  till  the  small, 
draped  hands  lay  level  with  the  sightless  eyes. 
Then,  partially  supported  by  the  matronly 
women,  she  sank  in  a courtesy  so  profound  that 
at  the  lowest  point  she  was  almost  in  a sitting 
posture.  Then  in  the  same  slow,  solemn  man- 
ner she  rose  again.  Her  face  at  this  time,  and 
indeed  during  all  the  ceremony,  was  as  expres- 
sionless as  the  face  of  a sphinx. 

Three  times  this  profound  courtesy  was  repeated. 
Then  it  was  the  groom’s  turn.  His  face  had 
more  feeling  in  it  than  hers.  Indeed,  it  looked 
flushed  and  anxious;  much  as  a European’s  face 
might  have  appeared  under  corresponding  circum- 
stances. Our  Korean  groom  now  responded  to 
his  bride’s  greetings  with  two  and  a half  bows,  in 
which  his  head  almost  touched  the  floor.  Then 
the  bride  and  the  groom  were  made  to  sit  down 
upon  their  respective  ends  of  the  mat. 

A table  stood  against  the  wall  laden  with  what 
Koreans  consider  delicacies,  but  what  they  seemed 
to  our  perverted  foreign  taste  I will  refrain  from 
stating,  out  of  politeness  to  our  host.  Bread  look- 
ing like  a white  grindstone,  dishes  of  white, 
stringy  vermicelli,  bowls  of  “kimche,”  a native 
sauerkraut,  candies,  and  a bottle  of  native  liquor 
were  there. 

The  couple  were  now  sitting.  The  woman 


74 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


nearest  the  table  took  a cup  and  filled  it  with 
liquor.  This  she  touched  to  the  bride’s  draped 
hands,  and  presented  it  to  the  groom.  He  took  a 
sip,  and  handed  it  back.  She  refilled  the  cup,  and 
they  repeated  the  ceremony  to  the  third  time. 

Then  came  a curious  performance.  The  “go- 
between”  had  a part  to  do.  She  was  the  old  lady 
with  gray  hair  who  had  literally  “made  the 
match.  ’ ’ She  had  attended  to  all  the  necessary 
preliminaries,  even  to  doing  the  courting  for  the 
young  people.  The  goose  again  appeared  upon 
the  scene.  This  time  the  skein  of  red  silk  had 
been  removed  from  the  holes  in  her  beak. 

Another  woman  held  the  bird,  while  the  aged 
match-maker  filled  her  hand  with  soft,  stringy 
vermicelli,  and  offered  it  to  her  gray  birdship. 
The  goose  eagerly  dabbed  away  with  her  beak 
until  she  was  nearly  satisfied,  when  the  old  lady 
finished  the  ceremony  by  eating  herself  what  was 
left  in  her  hand. 

All  this  had  been  done  in  the  doorway  leading 
into  the  bridal  chamber.  This  room  was  now 
cleared  of  its  young  and  middle-aged  ladies,  who 
were  compelled  to  join  the  crowd  in  the  court. 
To  the  bridal  chamber  the  groom  repaired  and, 
removing  his  wedding  robes,  which  made  him  look 
like  an  official,  assumed  garments  more  befitting 
his  rank.  His  new  costume  consisted  of  a new 
white  robe,  and  one  of  the  ordinary  broad- 
brimmed,  conical-crowned  hats. 

He  then  came  out,  and  the  bride  retired  to  the 


A WEDDING  IN  KOREA 


75 


room,  to  resume  again  her  cushion  on  the  floor; 
but  just  before  she  subsided  into  her  placid  medi- 
tations, her  two  attendants  required  her  to  bow  to 
her  foreign  guests,  and  three  times,  without  the 
movement  of  a muscle  in  her  face,  she  sank  to  the 
floor  in  profound  courtesies.  We  did  not  know 
just  what  was  required  of  us  at  this  juncture,  but 
one  after  another,  with  perplexity  written  on  our 
faces,  we  saluted  the  bride  with  American  bows. 

They  were  just  arranging  boxes  with  the  view 
to  feasting  us  with  Korean  delicacies,  when  the 
lady  of  our  party  reached  the  conclusion  that  it  was 
time  to  retire.  The  motion  was  carried  without 
debate,  and  amid  many  hospitable  protests  we 
made  our  farewells  in  our  best  available  Korean 
phrases  and  withdrew,  wishing  for  our  hosts  every 
possible  blessing. 


CHAPTER  V 


GUILDS  AND  OTHER  ASSOCIATIONS  * 

If  you  were  to  stroll  down  the  street  leading 
from  the  West  Gate  to  the  center  of  the  city  of 
Seoul,  and  with  observant  eye  should  note  the 
contents  of  the  shops  placed  here  and  there  along 
the  way,  you  would  notice  at  first  a number  of 
general  shops.  And  in  these  booths,  wide  open 
to  the  street,  you  would  see  an  assortment  of 
goods  probably  something  like  this : a few  articles 
of  food,  fine-cut  tobacco,  matches,  hair  ornaments, 
bright-colored  pockets  that  look  like  tobacco 
pouches,  and  a few  story  books.  It  is  noticeable 
that  in  these  cluttered  displays  only  a limited  range 
of  goods  is  to  be  seen.  Further  down  the  street, 
as  you  near  the  tower  of  the  great  city  bell,  the 
shops  grow  more  substantial,  and  to  see  the  goods 
of  many  of  them  you  must  go  inside.  In  these 

* This  chapter  is  a picture  of  business  conditions  before 
the  late  war.  During  the  “reform  era,”  instituted  by  the 
Japanese,  the  office  of  magistrate  of  the  market  was  abol- 
ished, the  pu-sang  office  ceased  to  be  numbered  among  the 
departments  of  the  government,  and  the  power  of  the 
merchants’  and  peddlers’  guilds  was  broken.  But  since 
the  conservative  reaction  set  in,  it  is  understood  that  the 
guilds  have  regained  much  of  their  ancient  standing  and 
power. 


76 


GUILDS  AND  OTHER  ASSOCIATIONS  77 


shops  a merchant  sells  only  one  kind  of  goods,  as 
paper,  or  shoes,  or  silk.  But  in  the  same  shop 
several  different  shop-keepers  may  have  their 
stalls.  These  men  are  the  members  of  the 
merchant  guilds.  Any  Korean  can  open  a little 
general  store.  But  certain  lines  of  goods  can  be 
handled  only  by  the  members  of  trade  guilds. 

There  are  many  different  guilds  corresponding 
to  the  different  kinds  of  goods  sold.  For  instance, 
the  sandal  trade,  as  distinguished  from  the  trade  in 
straw  or  string-shoes,  is  entirely  in  the  hands  of  the 
shoe  guild.  One  thing  which  seems  curious  to  our 
Western  notions  is  that  the  different  kinds  of  cloth 
goods  are  handled  each  by  a separate  guild.  There 
are  guilds  for  cotton  goods,  for  colored  goods,  for 
grass  cloth,  the  gauzy  summer  goods,  plain  silks 
and  figured  silks.  Then  there  are  guilds  for  cot- 
ton, dyes,  paper,  hats,  head-bands,  rice,  crockery, 
cabinets,  iron  utensils  and  brass  ware.  These 
are  some  of  the  principal  trades  of  which  the 
guilds  have  a monopoly.  These  guilds  not  only 
regulate  their  trade,  but  are  mutually  helpful  in 
certain  emergencies.  For  example,  in  case  one 
of  their  number  dies,  they  give  financial  aid 
to  his  family.  Each  guild  has  a head;  and  he 
with  his  servants  is  to  be  constantly  found  for  the 
transaction  of  business  at  the  guild  headquarters. 
Should  a man  desire  to  enter  into  business  in  one 
of  these  monopolized  trades,  he  must  make  appli- 
cation to  the  head  of  the  guild.  Should  he  prove 
acceptable,  he  must  pay  an  entrance  fee  to  the 


78 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


guild  of,  say  $20.  The  head  of  the  guild  then 
furnishes  him  with  a certificate  of  membership, 
duly  made  out  and  stamped  with  the  seal  of  the 
guild,  and  the  guild  members  come  around  and 
offer  him  their  congratulations.  He  can  then 
rent  his  stall  or  room  and  open  up  his  wares 
whenever  he  likes.  But  suppose  a man,  without 
asking  leave  of  the  guild,  should  undertake  to 
open  a shop  for  the  sale  of  silk  or  rice,  what 
would  happen?  All  would  go  well  for  a time; 
then  one  day  his  guild  certificate  would  be  called 
for.  None  being  produced,  a tempestuous  time 
would  ensue,  the  probable  end  of  which  would  be 
that  the  guild  would  confiscate  the  contents  of  the 
shop.  At  all  events,  in  a day  or  two  there  would 
be  one  less  merchant  in  the  silk  trade.  How- 
ever, in  this  connection,  a curious  custom  should 
be  mentioned.  From  the  twenty- fifth  day  of  the 
last  month  of  the  Korean  year,  that  is,  during  the 
'last  five  days  of  the  old  year,  and  through  the 
first  five  days  of  the  new,  Korean  custom  allows  any 
one  whatever  to  sell  any  kind  of  goods  he  pleases. 
Why  it  should  be  so  I cannot  tell,  only  such  is  the 
time-honored  custom.  This  is  the  reason  why 
the  displays  of  shining  brass  ware  are  to  be  seen 
in  all  their  glory  upon  the  streets  around  Chong- 
No  (the  bell-tower  place)  at  the  New  Year’s 
season,  while  at  any  other  time  you  must  hunt  for 
them  among  the  shops,  should  you  desire  to  see 
the  handsome  ware.  While  the  guilds  can 
cope  successfully  with  intruders  of  their  own 


GUILDS  AND  OTHER  ASSOCIATIONS  79 


people,  they  are  powerless  in  the  competition 
with  the  Chinese  and  Japanese  merchants. 

Members  of  guilds  are  required  to  pay  a 
monthly  tax  to  the  head  of  their  guild. 

The  government  is  accustomed  to  collect  taxes 
from  the  guild,  but  applies  directly  to  the  head 
of  the  guild  for  payment.  The  patriotism  of  the 
guilds  was  shown  upon  the  occasion  of  the  burial 
of  the  dowager  queen,  when  each  guild  added  a 
large  and  beautiful  silken  banner  to  the  gorgeous 
pageantry  of  the  funeral. 

Superior  to  either  the  guilds  or  their  chiefs  is 
an  official  appointed  by  the  government  to  rule 
over  the  merchants.  He  may  be  termed  the 
magistrate  of  the  market.  He  holds  the  rank  of 
tan-sa.  At  his  government  office  he  settles  dis- 
putes between  merchants,  and  acts  as  a judge  in 
matters  pertaining  to  commercial  law.  Not 
unlike  the  merchant  guilds  are  the  artisan  guilds ; 
what  we  would  call  at  home  “trades  unions.” 
But  they  are  spoken  of  by  a different  name ; for 
instance,  the  carpenters’  guild  or  union  would  be 
known  as  the  “room  of  the  carpenters.”  Trades 
unions  exist  of  the  carpenters,  the  masons,  the 
tilers,  the  chair-coolies,  the  rice-coolies,  etc. 

We  come  now  to  a form  of  guild,  which,  on 
account  of  its  peculiar  features,  is  deserving  of  a 
separate  treatment.  This  is  the  peddlers’  guild, 
known  as  the  pii-sang  guild.  These  need  to  be 
distinguished  from  the  po-sangs^  who  are  also  mer- 
chants, who  travel  from  market  to  market  in  the 


8o 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


country,  but  who  in  their  organization  are  simply 
the  ordinary  guild  adapted  to  the  conditions  for 
selling  goods  in  the  country.  The  pu-sang^  or 
peddlers’  guild,  which  we  are  now  to  consider,  is  a 
very  large  and  powerful  guild.  In  the  country 
villages  shops  are  rarely  found,  but  the  buying 
and  selling  of  merchandise  is  done  upon  special 
market  days.  The  country  has  been  districted 
among  conveniently  placed  market  towns,  in 
groups  of  five  each,  so  that  once  in  five  days  each 
of  these  towns  has  its  market  day.  And  peddlers, 
for  the  most  part  belonging  to  this  peddlers’  guild, 
keep  traveling  around  these  five-day  circuits,  carry- 
ing their  stock  of  goods,  one  upon  his  shoulders, 
another  on  an  ox,  and  still  another  on  pony-back. 
But  the  peculiarity  in  the  pu-sang  guild  consists 
in  their  connection  with  the  government.  In  a 
truly  feudal  sense  are  their  services  at  the  dis- 
posal of  the  government.  Not  one  office,  but 
the  higher  officials  of  any  government  office,  feel 
at  liberty  to  call  in  these  peddlers  for  special  serv- 
ices. Is  detective  work  required,  these  roving 
peddlers  can  be  made  use  of.  Does  the  king 
desire  to  visit  the  ancestral  graves,  in  the  many 
preparations  which  the  occasion  requires,  such 
for  instance  as  the  making  ready  the  city  streets 
and  country  roads,  the  peddlers’  services  are 
employed.  Or  in  the  country,  is  a special  escort 
required  for  the  guest  of  the  magistrate,  the  serv- 
ices of  the  pu-sangs  are  called  into  requisition. 
Mr.  Gilmore’s  “Korea  from  its  Capital,”  narrates 


A Mountain  Pavilion 


GUILDS  AND  OTHER  ASSOCIATIONS  8i 


how  Lieutenant  Foulk,  when  naval  attache  of  the 
American  legation,  had  once  a pleasing  experi- 
ence, while  traveling  in  the  country,  of  the 
courtesies  of  the  pu-sangs^  acting  for  him  in  the 
capacity  of  a night  escort.*  Especially  are  they 
liable  to  military  service  should  the  government 
have  need  to  call  an  army  into  the  field  in  addi- 
tion to  the  troops  in  the  barracks.  So  that, 

* The  following  is  the  account  mentioned  above,  that  was 
written  by  Lieutenant  Foulk,  describing  his  experience 
with  the  pu-sangs: 

“It  was  nightfall  when  we  started  to  return.  The  mag- 
istrate, who  was  an  officer  of  the  pii-sang,  brought  his  seal 
into  use,  and  called  out  thirty  of  the  body  to  light  us  down 
the  mountains.  Where  these  men  came  from  or  how  they 
were  called  I did  not  understand,  for  we  were  apparently 
in  an  uninhabited,  wild,  mountain  district.  They  appeared 
quickly — great,  rough  mountain  men,  each  wearing  the 
Pu-sang  hat.  We  descended  the  worst  ravine  in  a long, 
weird,  winding  procession,  the  mountains  and  our  path 
weirdly  illuminated  by  the  pine  torches  of  the  pu-sang 
men,  who  uttered  shrill,  reverberating  cries  continually  to 
indicate  the  road  or  one  another’s  whereabouts.  Suddenly 
we  came  upon  a little  pavilion  in  the  darkest  part  of  the 
gorge;  here  some  two  hundred  more  pu-sang  men  were 
assembled  by  a wild  stream  in  the  light  of  many  bonfires 
and  torches.  On  the  call  of  the  magistrate  they  had  pre- 
pared a feast  for  us  here  at  midnight  in  the  mountains. 
Here  the  magistrate  told  me  he  had  been  asked  by  the  late 
minister  to  the  United  States,  Min  Yong  Ik,  to  suddenly 
call  on  the  pu-sang  men  of  the  Song-do  district  for  serv- 
ices, to  show  me  the  usefulness  and  fidelity  of  the  body ; 
and  he  had  selected  this  place,  the  middle  of  the  mountains, 
and  time,  the  middle  of  the  night.  I need  not  say  that  the 
experience  was  wonderful  and  impressive.” 


82  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


although  Korea  has  no  “merchant  marine,’'  she 
may  be  said  to  have  a merchant  soldiery. 

Another  curious  feature  is  that  among  the 
great  departmental  offices  of  the  government, 
such  as  the  foreign  office,  the  home  office,  and  the 
war  office,  there  is  a pu-sang  office  for  whose  head- 
quarters a large  house  is  provided  in  the  center  of 
the  city.  And  further,  one  of  the  greatest  nobles 
in  the  country  is  the  president  of  this  office.  In 
other  words,  he  is  the  head  of  the  pu-sang  guild. 
Then  the  pu-sangs  are  subdivided  according  to 
magistracies,  having  what  we  would  term  a 
county  organization,  and  there  is  a chief  who  is 
the  head  of  all  the  pu-sangs  in  a given  magistracy. 
Men  who  are  not  peddlers  frequently  join  the 
peddlers’  guild.  A former  gateman  of  ours,  and 
in  our  neighborhood  a paperer  and  one  of  the 
coolies  are  said  to  belong  to  the  peddlers’  guild. 
The  popularity  of  the  guild  is  due  chiefly  to 
its  size  and  power.  Not  that  they  have  any 
direct  authority,  but  they  are  clannish  in  help- 
ing one  another.  For  example,  a pu-sang  desires 
to  collect  a debt,  but  his  debtor  declines  to 
pay.  Does  he  put  his  note  in  the  hands  of  a 
collection  agency  as  we  would  at  home?  No,  he 
mentions  the  matter  to  a few  of  his  peddler 
friends.  In  the  evening  he  calls  again  in  company 
with  these  friends.  And  as  twenty  stalwart  ped- 
dlers begin  to  bare  their  brawny  arms,  the  debtor 
comes  to  the  conclusion  that  he  believes  he  can 
raise  the  money  after  all.  But  they  have  more 


GUILDS  AND  OTHER  ASSOCIATIONS  83 


legitimate  modes  of  helpfulness.  Like  other 
guilds,  they  help  each  other  in  the  case  of  special 
emergencies,  such  as  a death  or  wedding  in  the 
family.  On  two  occasions,  I have  seen  great 
gatherings  of  the  pu-sangs.  They  had  large  tents 
erected,  and  I remember  that  some  of  their  num- 
ber wore  white  straw  hats,  with  a couple  of  cot- 
ton balls  in  the  band.  These  were  said  to  be  low 
men  in  the  order. 

These  various  guilds,  as  we  have  seen,  have 
characteristics  in  which  they  differ,  combined  with 
features  that  are  similar.  One  of  the  family  traits 
is  the  custom  of  mutual  help  with  money  or 
goods  upon  specified  occasions.  There  are  also 
certain  varieties  of  another  Korean  association, 
known  as  the  kyei  or  kay.  The  kay  is  a promi- 
nent feature  in  Korean  social  life.  There  are 
many  varieties  of  these  associations,  organized  for 
all  kinds  of  purposes,  some  good,  some  bad. 
There  are  associations  of  which  the  Koreans 
themselves  disapprove  theoretically,  as  being 
organized  for  gambling  purposes — lotteries  in 
other  words.  Again,  there  are  perfectly  legiti- 
mate kays^  which  are  insurance  companies,  or 
mutual  benefit  associations,  or  money-loaning 
syndicates.  There  are  several  different  kinds  of 
lotteries.  One  variety  is  limited  in  the  number 
of  those  who  engage,  and  has  but  one  prize. 
Another  kind  has  a hundred  chances ; and  still  a 
third  has  a thousand  chances.  Then  there  is  one 
which  the  Koreans  say  has  been  copied  after  the 


84  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


foreign  lottery,  where  tickets  are  sold  in  unlimited 
numbers.  This  is  probably  true,  for  I have  seen 
the  tickets  of  the  Manila  Lottery  exposed  for 
sale  in  the  Chinese  stores,  instructing  them  in  the 
ways  of  Western  civilization.  It  is  to  the  credit 
of  the  Korean  government  that  it  frowns  severely 
upon  these  lotteries,  and  suppresses  them  where- 
ever  it  is  possible. 

We  come  now  to  the  mutual-aid  societies,  insur- 
ance companies  and  loan  associations.  There  is 
a form  of  kay  which,  considering  the  customs  that 
govern  it,  would  appear  to  be  legitimate.  A 
certain  number  of  men  belong  to  it;  and  they 
have  a fortnightly  or  monthly  casting  of  the  lot. 
When  a man  has  drawn  the  prize,  he  cannot  try 
again  until  every  other  member  has  had  his  turn 
in  drawing  the  prize.  But  whether  eligible  or 
not  for  the  drawing,  he  must  keep  up  his  regular 
periodical  payments  to  the  manager  of  the  kay. 
In  some  such  associations,  I am  told,  the  amount 
of  the  sum  drawn  goes  up  month  by  month  till  a 
certain  limit  is  reached,  when  it  drops  again  to 
the  original  amount.  We  were  surprised  one  Sun- 
day on  going  to  church  to  see  the  house-boy  of  one 
of  our  missionary  friends  standing  with  a fantastic 
tissue  paper  head  gear  on  his  head,  and  a native 
lantern  in  his  hand,  in  a group  of  similarly  fur- 
nished men  outside  a house  where  a funeral  was 
to  be  held.  He  had  to.  He  belonged  to  an 
association  whose  members  are  pledged  to  carry 
lanterns  at  the  funeral,  and  furnish  some  stipu- 


GUILDS  AND  OTHER  ASSOCIATIONS  85 


lated  article,  as  the  grass-cloth  with  which  to  wrap 
the  remains  when  one  of  their  number  dies. 
Then  there  is  another  association  which  pays  the 
entire  expense  of  the  funeral,  when  death  invades 
the  home  of  one  of  its  members.  These  insur- 
ance kays  are  known  by  a number  of  names.  In 
contrast  with  these,  there  is  an  association  whose 
members  are  assessed  when  there  is  a wedding  in 
the  family,  or  a young  son  puts  up  his  hair  in  a 
top-knot,  and  assumes  the  garb  of  manhood. 
There  is  still  another  variety  which  helps  at  both 
weddings  and  funerals.  These  insurance  and 
mutual-aid  associations  are  conducted  on  the 
assessment  plan. 

Koreans  also  associate  themselves  together  in 
kays  for  the  purpose  of  loaning  money.  There 
is  one  variety  composed  of  people  who  loan  their 
money  and  divide  the  interest  at  the  New  Year’s 
season  in  order  to  lighten  the  heavy  burden  of 
expense  which  custom  connects  with  that  festival 
season.  Another  heavy  item  of  expense  in  Kor- 
ean families  is  the  preparation  of  their  winter 
supply  of  certain  articles  of  food,  made  in  the  fall. 
Among  their  other  preparations  many  families 
salt  down  a large  quantity  of  shrimps  at  this 
season  of  the  year.  Hence  it  comes  about  that 
there  is  an  association  whose  members  each  spend 
their  portion  of  the  accrued  interest  on  their  united 
loan  in  buying  the  winter  supply  of  shrimps. 

It  is  a matter  of  course  that  every  Korean 
scholar  wants  to  attend  the  royal  examinations 


86  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


once  in  a while.  But  for  the  poor  country- 
scholar  attending  the  koaga^  is  expensive,  for, 
added  to  the  cost  of  the  examination  paper,  ink, 
etc.,  is  the  item  of  hotel  bills  on  the  way.  So 
these  scholars  form  an  association,  loan  their 
money,  and  in  the  course  of  time  divide  the 
accrued  interest,  and  find  themselves  in  a position 
to  attend  the  examination  in  Seoul. 

The  Koreans  are  very  fond  of  going  out  of  the 
city  upon  picnics  in  the  spring,  when  the  azaleas 
and  other  flowers  are  in  bloom.  So,  festive  but 
impecunious  people  sometimes  form  an  associa- 
tion, loan  their  money,  and  use  the  interest  in 
going  out  upon  such  excursions  when  the  flowers 
are  in  their  glory.  Men  who  are  fond  of  archery 
have  their  kays.  Four  or  five  archers  meet  and 
contribute  a small  sum  each  to  form  a prize, 
which  is  then  given  to  the  man  most  skillful  with 
his  bow.  Or  two  sets  of  archers  meet  for  a 
friendly  contest,  and  the  rich  men  and  poor  men 
among  them,  according  to  their  several  abilities, 
contribute  a purse,  out  of  which  they  provide  a 
feast  and  dancing-girls  to  entertain  them.  Money 
is  loaned  by  the  kays  at  what  we  would  consider 
very  high  rates  of  interest.  Yearly  loans  are 
sometimes  made,  but  more  often  money  is  loaned 
on  ten  months’  time.  In  these  ten-months’  loans,  if 
a man’s  credit  is  very  good,  he  can  borrow  per- 
haps at  2 0 per  cent.  More  often  the  rate  charged 
is  30,  40,  or  50  per  cent.  Thus  1,000  cash  in  the 

* These  Koagas  were  abolished  at  the  time  of  the  war. 


GUILDS  AND  OTHER  ASSOCIATIONS  87 


course  of  ten  months  brings  in  an  interest 
amounting  to  200  cash,  or  more.  Often  the 
return  payments  are  made  during  the  ten  months 
at  the  rate  of  one-tenth  of  principal  and  interest 
each  month.  Certain  kinds  of  kays  have  each  a 
manager,  who  is  expected  upon  the  occasions 
when  they  meet,  once  or  twice  a month,  to  fur- 
nish the  members  with  wine  or  a meal.  I once 
saw  such  a meeting  in  the  country,  and  witnessed 
the  casting  of  lots,  when  their  names,  written  on 
white  nuts  about  the  size  of  a hickory  nut,  were 
drawn  one  by  one  from  a gourd  receptacle. 

We  sometimes  think  that  in  the  home-land  we 
have  organizations  for  almost  everything  under 
the  sun.  But  I am  not  sure  whether  Korean  life, 
with  all  its  different  associations,  is  not  about  as 
complex  as  ours.  The  business  world  is  certainly 
organized  to  an  extent  we  are  not  acquainted  with 
in  Western  lands.  True,  there  are  trades  unions 
in  each  alike,  but  in  Korea  nearly  all  the  mer- 
chants in  the  land  are  bound  together  in  their 
powerful  guilds,  that  are  practically  trades  unions 
in  the  mercantile  world.  And  it  is  worthy  of  note 
that  one  feature  characterizes  all  these  associa- 
tions, whether  merchant  guilds,  trades  unions, 
the  semi-political  peddlers’  guilds,  or  the  legiti- 
mate kind  of  kays^  and  that  is  the  trait  of  mutual 
helpfulness  in  time  of  need. 


CHAPTER  VI 


ANCESTRAL  WORSHIP  AS  PRACTICED  IN  KOREA 

The  religious  beliefs  of  Korea  show  a blending 
of  Confucianism,  Buddhism,  and  Shamanism. 
The  Confucian  learning,  as  we  know,  forms  the 
basis  of  the  education  of  the  country.  Every 
magistracy  throughout  the  land  has  somewhere  in 
its  town  a temple  dedicated  to  Confucius,  where, 
twice  a year,  in  the  spring  and  in  the  fall,  the 
magistrate,  with  his  numerous  writers,  worships  the 
spirit  of  the  sage.  The  social  fabric  of  the  coun- 
try is  largely  Confucian.  Ancestral  worship  is 
Confucian.  Again,  the  monasteries  and  temples 
of  Buddha  are  scattered  throughout  the  coimtry — 
a faith  with  much  of  its  lustre  gone.  Frequently 
before  a village  door  may  be  seen  a couple  of 
monks  or  nuns  soliciting  alms,  as  they  tap  upon 
their  wooden  begging-bowls  in  time  to  a monoto- 
nous chant.  Socially,  they  hold  nearly  the  lowest 
position,  and  until  the  time  of  the  war  were  for- 
bidden to  enter  the  gates  of  Seoul.  Shamanism, 
or  Spiritism,  has  its  representatives  in  the  blind 
sorcerer,  the  mutang^  or  sorceress,  and  the 
geomancer  who  chooses  fortunate  grave  sites. 

Each  religion  furnishes  its  share  to  the 
mythology  of  the  country.  At  the  head  of  their 
system  of  belief  is  Hananim,  whom  the  Chinese 


ANCESTRAL  WORSHIP  IN  KOREA  89 


recognize  as  Shangti.  Many  would  introduce  as 
next  inferior  to  him  Buddha  (indeed,  some  go  to 
the  temples  upon  the  death  of  a relative  to  pray 
the  Buddha  to  send  his  spirit  to  the  good  abode). 
Then  come  the  ten  judges  of  hades,  whose  pic- 
tures may  be  seen  in  Buddhist  temples.  Through 
their  servants  they  are  said  to  be  well  versed  in 
the  affairs  of  mortals.  Upon  the  death  of  a man, 
one  of  his  souls  is  seized  by  official  servants  of 
these  judges  and  hurried  to  hades.  The  judges, 
knowing  whether  his  deeds  have  been  good  or 
evil,  give  sentence,  and  in  accordance  with  the 
judgment  the  spirit  is  sent  either  to  the  Buddhist 
heaven  or  to  the  Buddhist  hell  to  spend  the  rest 
of  his  existence.  In  the  latter  place  are  manifold 
kinds  of  punishment.  For  you  must  know  that, 
while  many  Koreans  believe  with  the  Southern 
Buddhists  in  the  transmigration  of  souls,  many 
others  follow  the  Northern  cult  in  the  belief  in  a 
heaven  and  a hell.  Another  class  of  Koreans 
believe  that  the  soul  does  not  go  to  the  realm  of 
departed  spirits,  but  wanders  about  on  this  earth 
dependent  for  its  condition  upon  the  fidelity  of 
his  sons  in  keeping  up  the  prescribed  sacrifice. 
Next  below  the  ten  judges  come  the  sansin^  or 
mountain  spirits.  Each  mountain  on  the  checker- 
board of  Korea  is  supposed  to  have  its  presiding 
genius  in  the  person  of  a mountain  spirit,  of 
whom  more  anon.  Below  the  mountain  spirits 
are  many  other  kinds  of  spirits.  We  come  now 
to  the  kuisin^  or  devils.  Nearly  all  the  women 


90 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


and  three-fourths  of  the  men  of  Korea  stand  in 
mortal  terror  of  these  malevolent  beings.  Is 
any  one  sick,  or  in  trouble,  going  on  a journey  or 
moving  his  lodgings,  the  demons  are  propitiated 
by  sorcery. 

With  this  brief  look  at  the  religions  of  the 
countr}’,  let  us  center  our  attention  upon  the 
ancestral  worship  as  practiced  in  Korea.  Ances- 
tral worship  is  Confucian  in'  its  origin.  Con- 
fucius was  intensely  practical  in  his  philosophy. 
His  mind  took  no  pleasure  in  dwelling  upon  the 
supernatural.  He  said:  “Spirits  are  to  be 

respected,  but  to  be  kept  at  a distance.”  On 
another  occasion  he  said:  “While  you  are  not  able 
to  serve  men,  how  can  you  serve  their  spirits?” 
He  found  ancestral  worship  existing  among  the 
ancients  he  so  much  venerated,  and  he  passed  on 
the  custom  almost  without  comment.  And  yet, 
while  he  set  before  men  a beautiful  array  of 
virtues  to  be  practiced,  because  he  gave  to  the 
virtue  of  filial  piety  an  excessive  importance  and 
made  it  the  foundation  stone  of  his  structure,  he 
may  be  said  to  have  furnished  the  principle  for 
ancestral  worship. 

The  customs  regulating  ancestral  worship  in 
Korea  are  so  interesting,  that  it  may  be  profitable 
to  consider  the  procedure  after  death  somewhat 
in  detail.  Koreans  believe  that  every  man  has 
three  souls,  and  upon  death  one  goes  to  hades,  or 
wanders  about  on  the  earth,  one  goes  to  the  grave, 
and  one  takes  his  abode  in  the  ancestral  tablet. 


ANCESTRAL  WORSHIP  IN  KOREA  91 


In  the  last  moments  before  death,  silence  reigns 
through  the  house.  Sad  ministrations  follow,  and 
the  remains  are  placed  in  new  clothes  for  burial. 
Outside  the  door  is  at  once  placed  a little  table 
with  three  bowls  of  rice,  and  a red  squash ; and 
alongside  of  it  are  ranged  three  pairs  of  straw 
shoes. 

Three  official  servants  have  come  to  take  the 
soul  to  the  ten  judges  in  hades.  These  are  pres- 
ents to  them.  Smelling  the  flavor  of  the  cooked 
rice,  they  are  refreshed.  The  shoes  being  burnt, 
they  are  shod  for  the  journey.  The  squash  is  a 
present  to  the  prison  official  who  lived  2,000  years 
ago,  and  was  fond  of  squash.  Then  the  rice  is 
thrown  away,  and  the  squash  broken.  This  is 
done  during  the  first  half-hour  after  death.  Then 
the  inner  garments  of  the  deceased  are  taken  out 
by  a servant,  who  waves  them  in  the  air  and 
calls  loudly  to  the  deceased  by  name.  At  the 
same  time  the  friends  and  relatives  of  the  dead 
man  loudly  lament.  After  a time  the  clothes  are 
thrown  upon  the  roof  of  the  house  and  left  there. 

The  choice  of  the  site  of  the  grave  is  considered 
a matter  of  great  importance  to  Koreans.  The 
semi-globular  mounds  are  invariably  placed  upon 
hillsides.  While  they  may  be  placed  upon  slopes 
facing  any  direction,  a south  exposure  is  pre- 
ferred, probably  for  reasons  such  as  carry  weight 
in  China,  the  belief  being  there  that  inasmuch 
as  warmth  and  life  proceed  from  the  south, 
and  cold  and  frost  from  the  north,  that  grave 


92 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


is  most  fortunately  located  which  is  at  the  same 
time  sheltered  from  the  north  and  open  to  the 
good  influences  supposed  to  emanate  from  the 
south.  But  if  that  were  all,  the  choice  of  a grave 
site  would  be  a simple  matter.  There  are  many 
intricate  points  connected  with  the  subject,  in 
which  only  the  initiated  are  versed.  The  rela- 
tives are  obliged  to  consult  a geomancer.  He  is 
a learned  man  who,  by  long  study  of  books  upon 
the  subject  in  his  possession,  knows  all  the  super- 
stitions relating  to  the  good  and  bad  influences 
supposed  to  be  in  the  ground.  He  must  choose 
the  burial  site.  It  is  believed  that  a well-chosen 
site  brings  rank  and  money  and  numerous  sons  to 
the  children  of  the  one  buried  there. 

The  day  of  the  funeral  arrives.  The  remains 
have  been  placed  in  a coffin  more  or  less  expen- 
sive, according  to  the  means  of  the  family.  At 
dusk  they  start  with  a long  train  of  lanterns,  the 
brilliantly  colored  hearse,  the  loudly  weeping 
mourners,  of  whom  the  male  members  are  dressed 
in  the  bushel-basket  hat  and  the  yellow  mourner’s 
clothes.  The  grave  at  last  has  been  reached, 
the  interment  has  taken  place,  and  the  mound  has 
been  rounded  up.  Now  occurs  the  first  sacrifice. 
Small  tables  are  placed  in  front  of  the  grave. 
Upon  them  are  set  offerings  of  wine  and  dried 
fish.  The  relatives,  facing  the  offerings  and  the 
grave,  bow  to  the  ground  in  five  prostrations.  A 
formula  is  repeated,  wishing  peace  to  the  spirit 
who  is  to  dwell  in  the  grave.  Afterward,  at  a 


ANCESTRAL  WORSHIP  IN  KOREA  93 


little  distance  behind  the  grave,  like  offerings 
and  similar  prostrations  are  made  to  the  moun- 
tain spirit.  The  mountain  spirit  is  supposed  to 
preside  over  the  place.  Prayer  is  offered  to  him, 
invoking  his  protection  as  host  to  the  spirit  in  the 
grave  they  are  committing  to  his  care.  This  is 
deemed  necessary  in  order  to  secure  hospitable 
treatment  for  the  spirit  at  the  grave.  After  these 
ceremonies  the  wine  is  disposed  of,  and  the  fish 
is  divided  among  the  servants. 

We  now  come  to  the  third  soul  of  the  man. 
He  returns  from  the  grave  with  the  mourners 
to  take  up  his  abode  in  the  ancestral  tablet.  In 
the  room  the  tablet  is  to  occupy  (a  vacant  room 
if  possible)  another  offering  is  made. 

The  offerings  consist  of  native  bread,  wine, 
meat,  cooked  rice  and  vermicelli  soup.  These 
articles  of  food  are  placed  before  the  tablet  that 
the  spirit  may  regale  himself  with  the  flavor. 
The  relatives  and  friends  bow  five  times.  Then 
the  food  is  taken  into  another  room  and  eaten  by 
the  assembled  company. 

At  this  point  it  may  be  well  to  make  a few 
explanations.  The  ancestral  tablet  consists  of  a 
couple  of  strips  of  whitened  wood,  put  face  to 
face,  with  a hollow  space  cut  into  their  inner  sur- 
faces, aud  within  which  are  written  upon  one  of 
the  strips,  in  Chinese,  the  family  name  and  other 
writing.  A small  round  hole  connecting  this 
inner  space  with  the  outer  air  is  supposed  to  give 
ingress  and  egress  to  the  spirit.  The  tablet  thus 


94 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


constituted  is  slipped  into  a socket  in  a wooden 
block,  and  thus  adopts  an  upright  position,  follow- 
ing which  it  is  placed  in  a protecting  case.  After 
three  years  of  mourning  it  is  put  with  the  other 
ancestral  tablets  in  the  little  cabinets  in  the 
ancestral  temple  adjoining  the  house.  During  the 
intervening  time,  if  the  man  is  wealthy  he  places 
the  tablet  in  a vacant  room,  usually  in  his  wife’s 
apartment.  But  if  the  man  is  poor  and  has  no 
ancestral  temple,  the  tablet  is  placed  in  a box  on 
one  side  of  the  room,  and  on  the  occasions  when 
he  worships  his  other  ancestors,  strips  of  paper 
with  writing  on  them  are  pasted  on  the  wall  in 
lieu  of  the  proper  tablets.  The  common  people 
worship  not  only  for  their  father,  but  also  for 
their  grandfather  and  great-grandfather.  Some 
go  back  two  generations  or  more.  High  officials 
worship  for  four,  while  the  king  worships  for  five 
ancestors. 

Some  curious  customs  regulate  the  period  of 
mourning,  strictly  so  called. 

If  the  father  dies,  the  family  goes  into  mourn- 
ing for  three  years.  If  the  father  and  mother  die 
the  same  day,  the  same  period  of  mourning  is 
observed;  and  likewise,  should  the  mother  die 
some  time  after  the  father’s  death.  But  if  while 
the  father  is  alive  the  mother  dies,  the  family 
wear  mourning  garments  for  one  year. 

Again,  suppose  three  generations  of  a family 
to  be  living.  The  father  dies,  and  the  family 
goes  into  mourning  for  three  years.  The  grand- 


ANCESTRAL  WORSHIP  IN  KOREA  95 


father  dies  next,  and  the  son  takes  his  dead 
father’s  place  in  wearing  mourning  clothes  for 
another  three  years.  Where  a man  received 
rank,  posthumous  rank  is  sometimes  given  to  his 
departed  father  from  the  feeling  that  the  father 
must  always  be  considered  higher  than  the  son. 
An  official  cannot  hold  office  during  the  three 
years  of  mourning.  And  we  remember  how,  in 
the  year  of  mourning  for  the  Dowager  Queen, 
custom  required  that  the  public  offices  be  closed 
for  a long  period  of  time.  Custom  also  prescribes 
that  no  matter  how  young  a king  may  be  at  the 
time  of  his  decease,  his  successor  must  be  younger 
than  he,  so  that  he  can  perform  the  sacrifices. 

But  to  return  to  the  family  in  mourning. 
Allusion  has  been  made  to  the  mourning  clothes 
ordinarily  worn.  On  the  minor  sacrificial  occa- 
sions, a peculiar  robe  is  worn.  It  consists  of  a 
flowing-sleeved  garment,  split  up  the  back  to  the 
waist,  over  which  division  a fold  falls  to  the  bot- 
tom of  the  garment.  During  the  three  years, 
upon  the  two  national  mourning  days,  and  upon 
the  anniversary  of  the  father’s  death,  an  especial 
attire  is  worn  by  the  male  relatives  during  the 
ceremonies  of  mourning.  Among  other  features 
the  official  hoop  belt  is  worn;  and  the  hat  is 
peculiar,  in  which  a white  loop  goes  up  over  a 
baggy  skull-cap  from  front  to  rear. 

During  the  three  years  a dish  of  fruit  is  con- 
stantly kept  before  the  ancestral  tablet. 

Let  us  consider  the  sacrifices  further  demanded 


96  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


by  the  laws  of  ancestral  worship.  Upon  all  these 
occasions  the  eldest  son  is  invariably  the  master 
of  ceremonies.  During  the  three  years  certain 
sacrifice  is  rendered  only  before  the  deceased 
father’s  tablet,  and  not  in  the  ancestral  temple. 
On  the  first  and  fifteenth  of  each  Korean  month 
sacrifice  is  performed,  and  rice  or  vermicelli  soup, 
amid  lamentations,  is  placed  before  the  tablet. 
The  time  for  the  sacrifice  is  one  or  two  hours  after 
midnight.  The  anniversary  of  the  father’s  death 
is  a very  important  occasion  during  the  mourning 
years.  While  in  mourning,  on  the  night  before 
this  anniversary,  sacrifice  is  made  before  the 
tablet.  The  next  morning  friends  visit  the  fam- 
ily in  mourning,  and  sympathize  with  them,  upon 
which  occasion  food  in  many  varieties  is  set  before 
them.  Some  time  during  the  day  the  mourners 
repair  to  the  grave  and  repeat  the  sacrifices  of 
the  previous  year  to  the  soul  in  the  grave  and  to 
the  mountain  spirit. 

These  constitute  the  sacrifices  peculiar  to  the 
first  three  years.  Afterward  the  offerings  upon 
the  first  and  fifteenth  days  cease,  while  sacrifice 
on  the  father’s  anniversary  day  goes  on  perpet- 
ually, but  in  the  ancestral  temple  where  the  other 
tablets  are.  Mention  should  be  made  here  of  the 
anniversaries  of  the  grandfather’s  and  great- 
grandfather’s death,  when  sacrifice  is  made  in 
the  ancestral  temple,  and  at  their  graves. 

We  come  now  to  the  eight  Korean  holidays  upon 
which  sacrifice  to  the  dead  must  be  performed. 


A Wayside  I dol. 


ANCESTRAL  WORSHIP  IN  KOREA  97 


The  occasions  are  New  Year’s  day  (about  the 
I St  of  February),  the  fifteenth  day  of  the  first 
month  which  closes  the  New  Year’s  holiday 
season,  the  two  national  mourning  days,  and  four 
other  festivals.  Upon  these  days  sacrifice  is 
offered  at  daybreak.  One  peculiarity  marks  the 
celebration  of  these  eight  festivals  during  the 
mourning  years.  A double  sacrifice  is  performed 
at  the  house ; one  in  the  ancestral  temple  before 
the  remoter  ancestors’  tablets,  the  other  later, 
before  the  father’s  tablet  in  the  other  building. 
The  two  general  mourning  days  come  in  the 
spring  and  in  the  fall;  one  in  the  third  month, 
corresponding  to  April,  the  other  in  the  eighth 
month,  our  September.  Upon  these  two  days  the 
practice  is  various.  Some  visit  their  father’s 
grave,  and  some  do  not.  Others  again  visit  in 
addition  the  graves  of  their  grandfather  and 
remoter  ancestors,  upon  which  occasions  they  bow 
and  offer  their  food  at  the  graves  and  before  the 
presiding  mountain  spirit. 

Now,  as  to  the  significance  of  all  this  ancestral 
worship.  The  literature  upon  the  ancestral  wor- 
ship of  China,  especially  the  pamphlet  by  Dr. 
Yates,  seems  to  indicate  that  the  Chinese  believe 
that  the  happiness  of  the  dead  and  of  the  living  is 
directly  connected  with  ancestral  worship. 
Whether  their  fathers  are  rich  or  beggars  in  the 
other  world  depends  upon  the  fidelity  of  their  chil- 
dren in  keeping  up  the  prescribed  sacrifices,  and 
they  are  believed  to  reward  or  punish  the  living 


98  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 

children  according  to  their  faithfulness  in  ances- 
tral worship. 

Many  Koreans  would  agree  with  this  view.  Still 
another  class  seem  to  believe  that  the  condition  of 
the  dead  is  permanently  fixed  by  the  sentence  of 
the  ten  judges  upon  their  arrival  in  the  other 
world.  Such  would  hold  that  whether  a man 
worships  his  father  or  not,  does  not  affect  the 
happiness  of  either  the  father  or  the  son.  But  it 
does  affect  the  reputation  and  social  standing  of 
the  son  among  his  acquaintances,  as  being  a man 
who  shows  respect  or  disrespect  to  the  spirit  of 
his  father  living  in  the  ancestral  tablet  in  his 
house.  Such  are  some  of  the  features  of  the 
ancestral  worship  of  Korea. 


CHAPTER  VII 


A VISIT  TO  A FAMOUS  MOUNTAIN 

As  I was  told  at  a monastery  near  by  that  1 
was  the  first  foreigner  who  had  visited  this  noted 
mountain,  it  may  prove  of  interest  if  I relate  my 
experiences  while  there.  As  to  the  question  of 
where  it  is,  I would  state  in  the  province  of  Chung 
Chong,  perhaps  ten  miles  south  of  Kong-Ju,  the 
capital,  a little  off  from  the  main  road  that  leads 
to  the  south.  Kay-riong-san  is  a notable  moun- 
tain, whether  for  itself  or  for  its  venerable  mon- 
asteries, but  more  especially  because  it  rises  not  far 
from  the  spot  which,  tradition  tells  us,  is  to  be 
the  site  of  the  future  Seoul  of  the  next  dynasty, 
whenever  it  comes.  The  natives  put  it  thus: 
The  founder  of  the  present  dynasty  had  deter- 
mined to  locate  his  capital  there,  and  had  been 
three  days  at  work  on  the  walls,  when  the  moun- 
tain spirit  warned  him  off.  The  site  was  not  for 
him.  He  must  locate  at  the  present  Seoul.  The 
property  was  being  held  for  the  dynasty  that 
would  follow  his  own.  And  as  his  majesty  had  no 
desire  to  engender  the  ill-will  of  the  local  deities, 
he  prudently  withdrew  his  claim. 

The  mountain  is  magnificent;  as  high  as  Pyok- 
Han  to  the  north  of  our  city  of  Seoul.  But  instead 
of  a cluster  of  glorious  peaks,  there  is  a suc- 

99 


loo  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


cession  of  perhaps  a dozen  such  peaks  in  pic- 
turesque irregularity.  On  the  side  of  our  ap- 
proach they  were  green  with  splendid  timber  to 
their  very  summits.  I think  that  one  gains  a more 
vivid  sense  of  their  majesty  from  the  plain, 
because  the  eye  sweeps  up  over  comparatively  un- 
broken slopes  of  green  to  the  tremendous  peaks 
above.  I cannot  soon  forget  the  approach  to  the 
monastery  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  Splendid 
trees  centuries  old  lined  the  avenue,  through  whose 
interstices  came  the  sunlight  and  glimpses  of  the 
majestic  green  mountains.  Birds  were  singing, 
while  here  and  there  could  be  heard  the  music  of 
cascades.  We  arrived  at  the  monastery.  Here 
were  buildings  that  were  erected  at  the  time  when 
our  fathers  wore  armor  or  wolf-skins  in  the  train 
of  Emperor  Charlemagne,  a thousand  years  ago. 
One  temple  into  which  we  looked,  that  was  six 
or  eight  hundred  years  old,  impressed  us  as 
having  been  built  when  Buddhism  was  in  its  glory. 
The  fine  large  statues  of  the  three  seated  Buddhas 
and  of  their  attendants  beside  them,  together  with 
the  platform  on  which  they  were  placed,  towered 
aloft  some  fifteen  feet.  The  wooden  frame  which 
held  the  drum  of  the  monks  consisted  of  two 
very  well-carved  dragons.  In  another  build- 
ing was  the  finest  bell  I have  seen  in  Korea. 
Upon  its  sides  were  carved  the  names  of  the  faith- 
ful who  had  given  it.  It  hung  from  its  frame  by 
a loop  of  well-made  dragons  of  bronze.  In  one 
of  the  thousand-year-old  buildings  time  had  been 


A VISIT  TO  A FAMOUS  MOUNTAIN  loi 


unkind  to  the  Buddha.  Half  of  his  dainty  mus- 
tache was  wanting,  and  the  gold  was  gone  from 
his  fingers.  In  another  building  were  four  large 
pictures  of  noted  priests.  One  with  a flowing 
black  beard  represented  Sa-Miong-Tong,  who  it 
is  said  went  to  Japan,  in  the  days  of  the  invasion, 
and  by  his  magical  arts  intimidated  the  Japanese 
into  concluding  a peace  with  Korea.  Such  is  the 
tradition.  The  persimmons  growing  at  this 
monastery  were  the  finest  I tasted  in  Korea. 
We  saw  a foundry  in  which  the  monks  make 
kettles,  such  .as  the  natives  use  for  the  cooking  of 
food.  Standing  by  itself  in  a rather  wild  place  rose 
a curious  iron  tower.  Iron  cylinders,  perhaps 
two  feet  in  diameter,  were  placed  one  upon 
another  to  the  height  of  forty  feet.  Two  tall 
stone  slabs  helped  to  support  the  tower.  The 
last  ten  feet  of  the  cylinders  leaned  away  at  an 
angle  from  the  almost  perpendicular  shaft.  The 
top  of  the  column  had  an  ornamental  capital.  I 
could  get  no  satisfactory  explanation  of  the  shaft. 
In  another  spot  we  saw  a small  pagoda  upon 
whose  shelves  sat  a number  of  little  stone  Bud- 
dhas, some  with  heads  and  some  without,  but 
all  of  them  serene  in  posture.  I glanced  into 
one  of  the  monastery  kitchens.  Above  one  of 
the  huge  cooking-places,  painted  upon  the  wall 
in  bright  colors,  was  a kitchen  god.  He  had 
the  look  of  a large  well-fed  Korean  seated  in 
a chair  with  a couple  of  attendants  beside  him. 
After  tiffin  my  Korean  friend  proposed  that 


102  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


while  our  horses  went  around,  we  follow  the 
path  over  the  brow  of  the  mountain.  A look 
at  the  steep  tremendous  peak  filled  me  with  no 
great  enthusiasm.  However  we  went.  A slender 
young  monk  put  on  a yellow-peaked  sun-bonnet 
and  led  the  way.  He  had  come  but  recently 
from  Seoul  to  take  up  the  life  of  a monk,  and  the 
poor  fellow  was  evidently  homesick.  We  had 
been  climbing  some  time  when  we  came  to 
another  monastery.  Its  calm,  gilded  Buddha  sat 
in  a glass  case.  Here  we  had  a change  of  guides. 
He  was  a fat  young  monk,  as  merry  as  an  early 
spring  robin.  Up  we  zigzagged  over  a rugged 
path.  At  the  summit  was  another  monastery  in 
whose  court,  strange  to  say,  stood  a Japanese 
glass  street  lamp.  Here  I saw  an  elderly  monk, 
the  first  really  ascetic  Korean  monk  that  I have 
met.  His  head  was  shaven,  his  face  looked  thin 
and  worn,  and  his  manners  were  charmingly 
gentle.  After  a rest  we  took  in  the  splendid 
view.  To  the  north  and  south  were  a profusion 
of  mountains.  Southward  we  looked  over  nine 
successive  peaks.  Westward  the  country  stretched 
in  a comparatively  unbroken  level  to  the  sea. 

A third  bright  young  monk  led  us  down  the 
mountain  to  the  large  monastery  at  its  foot,  where 
we  were  to  spend  the  night.  In  the  dim  twilight 
of  the  following  morning  we  heard  a tap-tap,  tap- 
tap,  tap,  tap,  as  the  wooden  part  of  the  great 
drum  was  struck.  Then  came  the  loud  sound  of 
the  dram.  Next  the  boom  of  the  great  bronze 


A VISIT  TO  A FAMOUS  MOUNTAIN  103 


bell,  which  sounded  now  and  again  during  the 
strange,  monotonous  chant  of  the  monks  that 
followed.  It  all  seemed  very  weird  to  one’s  half- 
wakened  senses.  Later  we  visited  the  famous 
plain  to  which  allusion  has  been  made.  Two 
monks,  one  in  the  small  yellow  begging-hat, 
shaped  like  a bowl,  and  the  other  in  the  ordinary 
wide-brimmed,  round-crowned,  black  monk’s 
hat,  who  had  occasion  to  go  in  the  same  direction, 
showed  us  the  way.  Presently  we  found  our- 
selves climbing  the  mountain,  green  with  bushes 
and  grass.  We  were  entering  by  the  western 
approach.  Not  far  from  the  top  of  the  ridge  we 
saw  a brook  that  slipped  for  fifty  feet  down  a 
slope  of  rock  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees. 
From  here  our  path  led  down  a valley  which 
furnished  one  of  the  roughest  pieces  of  road  that 
I ever  traveled.  The  brook  that  went  with  us 
was  falling  all  the  time,  and  it  was  with  the  great- 
est difficulty  that  we  kept  from  following  its 
example.  One  of  our  party  did  rest  for  a time 
in  one  of  the  puddles  of  the  road.  One  of  the 
many  cascades  of  the  valley  deserves  particular 
mention.  To  view  it  well  required  a visit  in 
one’s  stocking  feet.  The  wide  brook  dropped 
with  a sheer  fall  of  twenty-five  feet  into  an  oval 
pool  that  was  green  in  color  and  of  unknown 
depth.  The  natives  say  that  in  the  depths  of  the 
pool  sleeps  a male  dragon.  Presently  the  rocky 
road  opened  upon  a great  plain.  As  we  traveled 
through  it  we  saw  where  the  canal  had  been 


104  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


begun  that  was  to  have  crossed  the  city.  Soon  we 
reached  the  place  where  huge  cubes  of  stone  lay 
about  the  plain  in  careless  disorder.  These  the 
ancient  king  had  cut  and  brought  from  the  hills, 
when  he  thought  to  build  his  city  here.  Under 
almost  every  block  of  stone  holes  had  been 
scraped.  It  is  said  that  the  natives  at  one  time 
brought  nails  and  placed  them  under  the  stones, 
in  the  belief  that  by  so  doing  they  would  be  rid 
of  disease.  But  doubt  having  been  raised  as  to 
the  value  of  the  remedy,  the  nails  were  all  dug 
out  and  used.  As  we  looked  about,  this  place 
was  pointed  out  as  the  spot  where  the  palace  was 
to  have  stood.  And  from  yonder  knoll  the  great 
bell  was  to  have  tolled  its  warning  that  day  was 
done,  and  that  the  stream  of  life  throbbing 
through  the  great  gates  must  rest  until  the  mor- 
row. 

But  what  a site  for  a city ! An  enormous  level 
plain,  amply  sufficient  to  hold  a great  population, 
wonderfully  fortified  by  the  hand  of  God  in  the 
mountains  that  he  built  about  it.  To  the  north 
were  grand,  rugged,  mountain  heads.  To  the 
east  and  west  more  regular  ridges.  To  the  south 
the  plain  opened  out  upon  a chorus  of  peaks  of 
all  heights  and  sizes.  The  east,  north,  and  west 
approaches  would  probably  have  been  difficult. 
But  from  the  south  the  city  would  doubtless  have 
been  easy  of  access.  Had  the  founder  of  the 
present  dynasty  placed  his  capital  here,  he  could 
have  made  for  himself  an  almost  impregnable  city ; 


A VISIT  TO  A FAMOUS  MOUNTAIN  105 


but  his  choice  of  Seoul  was  undoubtedly  wise,  for 
he  gained  thereby  a capital  of  far  more  central 
location. 


CHAPTER  VIII 


\ 


THE  FEAR  OF  DEMONS 

The  merit  of  the  little  poem,“Seein’  things,”  by 
that  melodious  singer  of  childhood’s  thoughts, 
Eugene  Field,  consists  not  in  the  scientific  accu- 
racy of  the  boy’s  deductions,  but  in  the  fact  that  it 
enables  us  to  see  the  horrid  phantoms  of  the  night 
through  the  eyes  of  the  boy.  In  like  manner, 
please  consider  that  this  chapter  is  not  an  attempt 
at  a scientific  investigation  in  the  realm  of  demon- 
ology, but  simply  an  effort  to  let  you  view  the 
occult  beings  they  so  much  dread  from  the  point 
of  view  of  the  average  Korean.* 

No  one  can  understand  the  inner  life  of  the  great 
majority  of  the  Korean  people  who  fails  to  take 
note  of  their  attitude  toward  these  demons.  When 
the  Korean  thinks  of  these  beings  no  warm  surge 
of  love  and  joy  comes  into  his  heart,  as  is  the  case 
with  the  Christian  when  he  is  filled  with  the 
thought  of  his  Father  in  Heaven,  but  rather  his 
imagination  peoples  the  earth,  the  sea,  the  sky, 
the  haunts  of  men  and  the  wilderness  with 
myriads  of  spirits,  five-sixths  of  whom  are  hate- 

*For  most  of  my  knowledge  upon  this  subject  I am 
indebted  to  the  researches  of  Rev.  G.  H.  Jones,  Mrs.  Gifford 
and  the  late  Dr.  E.  B.  Landis. 

io6 


THE  FEAR  OF  DEMONS 


107 


ful,  wicked,  malicious,  and  the  other  one-sixth, 
while  better  disposed,  are  capricious  in  the 
extreme.  These  beings  have  it  in  their  power, 
he  believes,  to  bring  him  material  prosperity  or 
to  injure  him  and  his  family  in  a thousand  dif- 
ferent ways — such,  for  instance,  as  through  the  loss 
of  property,  or  sickness,  taking  frequently  the 
form  known  as  “demon  possession.”  He  can 
never  tell  when  he  has  offended  one  of  these 
beings,  so  he,  and  more  especially  his  wife,  live  in 
a constant  dread  that  impels  them  to  frequent 
expensive  offerings  to  appease  their  jealous  anger. 
Demon- worship  takes  no  thought  of  the  joys  or 
woes  of  a future  life,  presents  not  one  induce- 
ment to  men  to  live  more  moral  lives,  but  strikes 
incessantly  upon  the  one  emotional  chord  of  fear. 
It  has  been  estimated  that  demon-worship  costs 
the  people  of  Korea  two  million  five  hundred 
thousand  dollars  every  year.  In  the  city  of  Seoul 
alone  three  thousand  sorceresses  ply  their  art,  earn- 
ing, on  an  average,  fifteen  yen  a month  apiece — 
a very  good  living,  indeed,  according  to  Korean 
standards.  Thus  some  idea  can  be  formed  of  the 
hold  this  demon  cult  has  upon  the  lives  of  the 
people.  It  is  undoubtedly  the  religion  of  the 
country,  as  well  as  the  oldest  of  all  its  beliefs. 

To  consider  from  the  Korean  point  of  view 
these  supernatural  beings  more  in  detail,  they  are 
divided  into  two  classes,  each  of  which  is  again 
capable  of  a further  subdivision.  The  first  and 
larger  class  consists  of  malicious  fiends  and  the 


io8  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


spirits  of  men  who  have  died  in  poverty,  or  under 
other  painful  circumstances,  and  now  wander 
about  the  world  in  cold,  hunger  and  nakedness, 
wreaking  their  spite  on  all  who  refuse  to  supply 
their  needs  through  offerings.  The  second  class 
embraces  spirits  of  a kindlier  nature  and  the 
shades  of  men  who  in  this  life  were  prosperous 
and  influential.  The  people  believe  that  by 
proper  inducements  in  the  form  of  offerings, 
incense  and  prayers,  they  can  buy  off  members  of 
the  first  class  or  prevail  on  others  of  the  second 
class  to  interest  themselves  in  their  behalf.  Go 
into  the  inner  court  of  a Korean  home  and  among 
other  evidences  of  spirit  worship  you  would  prob- 
ably see  the  following  fetishes  or  spirit  “nests”  : 
Somewhere  out  of  doors  in  the  court  is  visible  a 
bundle  of  straw  set  on  some  sticks  or  a shelf  con- 
taining a scrap  of  cloth  or  a bit  of  straw  rope  and 
upon  which  on  the  offering  days,  the  ist,  2d,  3d, 
and  15th  of  the  month,  cooked  food  is  placed. 
This  is  the  nest  of  the  spirit  of  the  site.  Again, 
in  the  shed  room  used  for  a kitchen,  the  fetish  of 
the  kitchen  demon  may  be  seen  in  a piece  of 
cloth  or  paper  fastened  to  the  wall  above  the  fire- 
place. In  the  deep  veranda  attached  to  the  side  of 
the  great  beam  overhead  are  seen  paper  and  rice, 
representing  the  abode  of  the  spirit  of  the  ridge- 
pole, who  occupies  rather  a chief  position  among 
the  household  spirits,  and  who  is  supposed  to 
bring  to  the  home  a measure  of  health  and  hap- 
piness, and  yet  is  unable  always  to  ward  off  sick- 


THE  FEAR  OF  DEMONS 


109 


ness.  At  the  approach  of  a contagious  disease  he 
is  said  to  flee  from  the  premises  and  must  be 
coaxed  back  with  proper  ceremonies  later  on. 
The  rites  attending  the  introduction  or  recall  of 
this  spirit  into  a home  have  been  thus  described: 
The  house  having  been  cleaned  and  a feast  pre- 
pared, the  mutang^  or  sorceress,  who  has  been 
called  for  the  occasion,  starts  out  to  hunt  the  spirit. 
She  ties  a good-sized  sheet  of  paper  around  an 
oak  rod,  which  she  holds  upright  in  her  hand. 
She  may  And  the  spirit  just  outside  the  house  or 
she  may  have  to  go  some  distance  before  he  indi- 
cates his  presence  by  shaking  the  rod  with  so 
much  force  that  many  men  with  their  united 
strength  could  not  hold  it  still.  He  accompanies 
the  mutang  as  she  returns  to  the  house.  Upon 
their  arrival  great  demonstrations  of  joy  are  made 
that  he  has  come  to  bless  the  family  with  his  pres- 
ence. The  paper  which  was  tied  around  the  stick 
is  folded,  soaked  in  wine,  a few  pieces  of  cash 
slipped  into  it  and  then  tossed  against  a beam  in 
the  house,  to  which  it  adheres.  Rice  is  thrown 
up,  some  of  which  sticks  to  the  paper,  and  the 
spirit  nest  is  complete.  Smallpox  creates  great 
ravages  among  the  -little  folks  of  Korea,  and  par- 
ents never  count  their  infants  among  the  number 
of  their  children  until  they  have  had  that  disease. 
They  believe  there  is  a smallpox  devil,  to  whom 
the  name  of  Mmna  has  been  given,  and  whose 
home  they  say  is  in  the  south  of  China.  The 
well-known  symptoms  break  out  upon  a baby. 


no  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


At  once  a mutang  is  called,  and  under  her  direc- 
tion they  proceed  to  do  the  spirit  reverence.  The 
parents  bow  low  before  the  sick  child  and  address 
it  continually  in  terms  of  the  highest  respect.  If 
the  child  survives,  at  the  turn  of  the  disease  the 
mutang  is  called  again,  a feast  is  prepared  and 
the  smallpox  devil  is  bidden  adieu,  with  many 
polite  wishes  for  a prosperous  journey  to  his  native 
land.  This  shows  something  of  the  inner  life  of 
Korean  homes.  Every  day  in  the  month  is  con- 
sidered fortunate  for  the  doing  of  certain  things 
and  unlucky  for  the  doing  of  certain  others,  so 
fettered  are  they  by  their  superstitions. 

Strangers  in  Korea  have  their  curiosity  aroused 
by  seeing  here  and  there  by  the  roadside  a small 
tree  growing  apparently  out  of  the  midst  of  a pile 
of  stones.  To  its  limbs  are  attached  all  manner 
of  white  rags,  shreds  of  colored  cloth  and  pieces 
of  paper,  some  of  which  contain  written  prayers. 
Coolies  going  by  spit  at  the  pile.  Old  women 
with  little  bundles  of  clothing  tied  to  the  tops  of 
their  heads  and  a staff  in  one  hand,  pause  and  bow 
reverently,  rubbing  together  their  palms.  An 
evil  spirit  dwells  in  the  tree  and  it  is  considered 
wise  in  travelers  to  show  him  some  mark  of  atten- 
tion, exhibited  in  these  different  ways.  Food  is 
sometimes  offered  at  these  stone  piles  to  wander- 
ing hungry  spirits.  Here  and  there  a great  splen- 
did tree  is  considered  haunted.  Sometimes  upon 
the  crown  of  a mountain  pass  you  will  come  upon 
a spirit  shrine.  Within  you  will  see  colored  pic- 


THE  FEAR  OF  DEMONS 


III 


tures.  One  is  of  an  old  man  sitting  on  a tiger ; 
handsome  women,  apparently  his  wives,  stand 
about,  and  beyond  are  the  pictures  of  retainers. 
This  is  the  shrine  of  a mountain  spirit.  The 
people  will  point  out  to  you  pools,  where  great 
writhing  dragons  are  said  to  have  their  homes. 
Near  many  a country  village  may  be  seen  a rude 
shrine  where  some  great  local  spirit  is  worshiped 
every  three  years,  and  the  expenses  of  the  festival 
are  defrayed  by  public  taxation. 

The  priests  and  priestesses  of  this  “unorganized 
Shamanism’’  are  blind  men  called  pa7tsus  and 
the  women  termed  mutangs.  If  you  could  only  for- 
get the  horrid  meaning  of  it  all,  the  dancing  of 
the  mutang  in  her  worship,  in  time  to  the  beat  of 
the  gong  and  the  drum  in  the  shape  of  an  hour- 
glass, would  impress  one  as  quite  picturesque. 
She  is  supposed  to  be  under  the  control  of  a 
spirit  of  influence  in  the  realm  of  darkness,  who, 
for  a consideration,  can  be  induced  to  appease  the 
injured  dignity  of  some  malignant  spirit  who  is 
afflicting  a household.  She  also  claims  the  power 
to  foretell  future  events.  No  matter  what  her 
position  in  life,  the  call  of  a woman  by  a spirit  to 
become  a mutang  is  considered  irresistible.  She 
will  make  plenty  of  money,  but  at  a high  price ; 
for  she  becomes  a social  outcast,  not  on  moral 
grounds,  but  by  reason  of  her  vocation.  The 
pa7isu  deals  directly  with  the  evil  spirits,  which 
he  drives  away  by  repeating  exorcisms  from  a 
book  handed  down  from  the  earliest  ages,  whose 


1 12  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


words  are  meaningless  at  the  present  time.  One 
of  his  many  pretensions  is  the  bottling  of  a foul 
spij  it.  Under  ordinary  circumstances  it  is  only 
necessary  to  offer  some  poor  food,  meanly  pre- 
pared and  offered  in  coarse  dishes,  with  an  order 
to  cease  their  persecutions,  which  may  be  in  the 
form  of  sickness  or  mysterious  manifestations,  such 
as  unaccountable  noises,  unexplained  fires  in  roofs, 
the  mysterious  finding  of  sieves  and  articles  of 
clothing  in  the  tops  of  trees.  If  this  proves 
insufficient,  the  fiend  is  called  and  is  supposed  to 
manifest  his  presence  by  causing  the  small  bit  of 
wood  which  has  been  placed  on  the  floor  in  front 
of  the  pansu^  to  dance  in  a most  extraordinary 
manner.  The  pansu  chastises  him  severely  with  a 
stick  which  he  grasps  in  one  hand,  and  drives  him 
into  a wide-mouthed,  empty  bottle  which  he  holds 
in  the  other.  When  this  is  accomplished,  which 
is  indicated  by  the  piece  of  wood  hopping  in,  the 
bottle  is  corked,  buried  at  a cross-roads  and  a fire 
is  built  over  the  spot.  These  are  some  of  the 
methods  employed  by  the  pansus  and  mutangs. 

Let  us  consider  the  attitude  of  the  Korean 
Christians,  more  especially  toward  what  they 
regard  as  cases  of  demoniacal  possession.  The 
following  is  the  naive  account  given  by  a Korean 
Christian  man  living  on  the  island  of  Kang-wha 
to  Mrs.  G.  H.  Jones,  which  she  inserted  in  one  of 
her  annual  reports  to  the  Northern  M.  E.  Mission. 
He  was  an  eye-witness  of  the  events  he  narrates : 

“There  was  a man  living  in  Sosa  Sirimi  on 


Ironing  Clothes. 


THE  FEAR  OF  DEMONS 


113 

Kang-wha,  who  has  since  removed  to  Chemulpo. 
With  his  entire  household  he  became  a Christian, 
and  although  he  had  not  as  yet  received  baptism, 
he  cast  away  all  his  idols  and  ceased  from  the 
evil  deeds  of  the  past.  On  the  eve  of  the  ninth 
day  of  the  sixth  moon  his  wife,  though  sick,  had 
no  pain,  yet  her  limbs  became  rigid  like  a dead 
person  and  she  was  totally  unconscious.  Being 
thus  the  whole  night,  we  thought  she  had  the 
Asiatic  cholera,  and  gave  her  medicine.  When 
daylight  came  she  seemed  to  be  better  and  we 
concluded  she  had  recovered.  The  next  night 
she  had  a return  of  the  attack,  going  into  convul- 
sions and  becoming  unconscious.  Three  or  four 
persons  were  called  in  to  rub  her  limbs  and  we 
gave  her  medicine  again  and  again.  At  daybreak 
she  recovered.  This  time  we  believed  she  was 
entirely  cured;  but  at  about  six  o’clock  in  the 
evening  the  attack  returned.  Her  husband  rubbed 
her  limbs.  Three  or  four  of  the  brethren  were 
present.  In  an  hour  she  awoke  and  began  to 
gnaw  her  hands,  so  that  her  mouth  was  bloody. 
Those  standing  by,  using  in  fun  the  words 
employed  to  drive  out  a dog,  cried  ‘ Egai ! Egai ! ’ 
and  she  began  to  bellow.  Therefore  all  were 
astonished  and  cried,  ‘This  is  not  cholera.  A 
devil  has  taken  possession  of  her.  We  must 
beseech  the  Lord  to  cast  it  out.  Let  us  pray.’ 
Then  the  sick  woman,  with  evident  grief,  began 
to  cry  again.  We  inquired  why  she  cried.  She 
answered : ‘You  call  me  a devil ; and  say  you  will 


ti4  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


drive  me  away.*  Therefore  we  were  sure  it  was 
the  devil.  This  being  Friday  evening  and  the 
time  when  the  women  meet  for  prayer,  all  of  the 
sisters  and  some  of  the  brethren  met  at  the  sick 
woman’s  house,  and  reading  Mark  5:1-20,  with 
one  heart  all  besought  the  Lord,  saying:  ‘Lord 
have  pity  on  us.  We  are  all  sinners,  and  very 
weak,  and  when  the  devil  tries  us,  we  are  defense- 
less. Oh,  Lord,  bring  to  pass  what  we  have 
just  read  in  the  Bible.  Make  the  devil  to  leave 
this  woman  and  go  to  his  own  place.’  As  we 
prayed  the  woman  sat  up  and  joined  in  our  prayer. 
And  then  when  we  sang,  she  sang  with  us.  We 
all  exhorted  her  to  have  faith  that  the  devil  had 
been  cast  out,  and  give  no  place  to  doubt ; to 
beseech  the  Lord  to  never  again  allow  the  devil 
to  disturb  her.  Then,  praising  God,  we  all  dis- 
persed to  our  homes.  From  that  time  she  was 
entirely  cured  and  to  this  day  she  is  a whole  per- 
son. Thus  the  Lord  favors  us ; but  how  many  are 
ignorant  of  his  grace.  The  spirit  of  which  she 
was  possessed  is  called  Sai-pyol-sang^  and  is 
very  wicked.  If  one  should  serve  it,  it  will  be 
difficult  to  eat  food  brought  in  from  another 
house,  and  if  the  attempt  is  made  to  eat  without 
first  having  prayed  to  the  spirit,  sickness  will 
result.  It  is  also  difficult  to  bring  into  the  house 
clothing.  If  a person  brings  a bright-colored 
cloth  into  the  house  without  first  acknowledging 
the  spirit,  sickness  will  surely  result.  This  family 
having  once  worshiped  the  spirit  and  now  propos- 


THE  FEAR  OF  DEMONS 


115 

ing  to  cast  it  away,  received  this  trial ; for  on  the 
day  the  woman  took  sick,  some  new  cloth  had 
been  brought  into  the  house,  and  the  devil  being 
angered  at  thus  being  ignored  punished  his  former 
slaves.”  Thus  closed  his  narrative.  Mrs.  Jones 
says  that  she  supposes  the  physicians  would  pro- 
nounce it  a case  of  hysteria;  but  whatever  this 
may  have  been,  the  Christians  feel  that  she  was 
healed  by  their  prayers. 

Certain  it  is  that  for  many  a Korean  the  aban- 
donment of  spirit-worship  is  one  of  the  most 
serious  steps  than  can  possibly  be  taken.  Here 
is  an  instance  in  point.  A female  inquirer  who 
felt  it  her  duty  to  give  up  the  worship,  and  doubt- 
ing her  own  courage,  called  in  Miss  Ellen  Strong 
of  our  mission  to  help  her  destroy  the  imple- 
ments of  worship.  At  the  appointed  time  she 
came  and  found  the  woman  looking  deathly  pale 
and  fairly  sick  from  a sense  of  the  seriousness  of 
the  step  she  was  about  to  take,  and  rather  dis- 
posed to  give  up  the  effort.  It  took  considerable 
persuasion  upon  the  part  of  Miss  Strong  to  get 
up  her  courage  to  the  point  of  action,  and  then 
she  had  to  take  the  initiative  in  the  destruction  of 
the  spirit  “nests”  and  the  other  utensils.  Only 
when  the  operations  were  well  under  way  did  her 
hostess  venture  to  take  an  active  part  in  the  pro- 
ceedings. We  are  utterly  unable  to  appreciate  the 
terror  which,  under  such  circumstances,  must  fill 
the  heart  of  a Korean  woman  who  had  lived 
all  her  life  under  the  fear  of  the  demons. 


ii6  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


The  following  extract  from  a report  of  Mrs.  J. 
S.  Gale,  made  to  one  of  the  annual  meetings  of 
our  mission,  admirably  shows  the  change  that 
comes  into  the  lives  of  Koreans  when  they  pass 
from  demon-worshipers  to  followers  of  Jesus 
Christ:  “In  the  early  spring”  (1895)  “Mrs.  Kim 
and  Mrs.  Kwon  came  to  me,  and  they  said  their 
husbands  had  been  attending  the  men’s  meetings 
upon  the  hill,  and  they  had  heard  that  Jesus 
Christ  could  cast  out  devils,  and  that  was  just 
what  they  wanted  him  to  do  for  them.  Their 
houses  were  full  of  evil  spirits,  they  said.  They 
could  not  sleep  for  the  strange  sights  and  sounds. 
Sometimes  it  seemed  as  if  sand  were  dashed 
against  their  windows,  and  again  as  if  water  were 
being  poured  from  one  dish  into  another.  Night 
after  night  they  had  searched  for  the  cause  of 
these  disturbances,  with  no  other  result  than  to 
find  the  cup-boards  and  dishes  moving  about  the 
house  in  a mysterious  way,  and  large  earthen 
jars  placed  inside  others  which  had  such  narrow 
necks  that  none  but  supernatural  power  could 
have  gotten  them  in,  and  no  one  could  get  them 
out.  They  had  spent  much  time  and  money  in 
devil  worship  and  sacrificing,  hoping  in  that 
way  to  get  some  peace.  But  things  only  grew 
worse.  Their  husbands  had  heard  at  the  meet- 
ings that  Jesus  Christ  could  cast  out  evil  spirits, 
and  if  this  was  true,  they  wanted  to  know  what 
they  must  do  in  order  to  get  him  to  cast  them  out 
of  their  homes.  We  sat  down  on  the  rug  and 


THE  FEAR  OF  DEMONS 


117 

spent  most  of  the  afternoon  reading  the  Scripture 
accounts  of  Christ’s  power  over  devils.  And  they 
were  so  glad  to  learn  that  ‘He  is  the  same  yester- 
day, today  and  forever.  ’ They  learned  also  how 
the  presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  their  homes 
would  be  a safeguard  against  the  Evil  One.  It 
was  not  long  before  I heard  that  these  women  had 
given  up  all  sacrificing  and  devil-worship,  and 
were  praying  God  to  send  the  Holy  Spirit  to  dwell 
with  them.  Soon  they  came  to  tell  me  that  their 
homes  were  all  peaceful.  No  more  strange  sights 
or  sounds.  No  more  sorcerers  or  exorcists.  No 
more  fear  or  devil-worship.  But  such  joy  and 
happiness  as  they  had  never  known.  They  and 
their  neighbors  were  filled  with  awe  and  wonder 
and  wanted  me  to  come  and  teach  them  more 
about  the  Holy  Spirit  and  Jesus.” 

Let  me  say,  in  closing  this  chapter,  that  it  is 
easy  for  us  as  Westerners  to  ridicule  the  supersti- 
tions of  the  Koreans;  but  if  we,  in  a spirit  of 
.sympathy,  assume  for  a time  their  angle  of  vision, 
we  can  see  that  to  them  the  fear  of  demons  is  the 
cause  of  frequent  and  intense  mental  suffering. 


CHAPTER  IX 


AN  ADVENTURE  ON  THE  HAN  RIVER 

It  vras  at  the  time  of  the  year  when  the  streets 
of  Seoul  were  resplendent  with  little  children 
adorned,  like  Joseph  of  old,  in  “coats  of  many 
colors.  ’ ’ It  was  the  time  when  their  elders,  clad 
in  new  garments  of  spotless  white,  went  about 
visiting  their  friends  with  Oriental  effusiveness 
of  respect,  and  at  the  same  time  contracted  indi- 
gestion from  eating  so-called  rice  “bread”  of  the 
consistency  of  putty.  In  short,  it  was  the  Korean 
New  Year  season  of  the  year  1889.  At  perhaps 
four  o’clock  of  one  bright,  mild  February  after- 
noon I strolled  up  to  the  dispensary  at  Dr.  Her- 
on’s house.  The  doctor’s  salutation  was:  “Gifford, 
don’t  you  want  to  go  hunting  at  the  river?”  Now 
I am  so  uncertain  a huntsman  that  the  ducks  all 
laugh  when  they  see  me  coming  with  a gun.  I 
saw  little  use  of  my  going  upon  a hunt.  But  a 
glance  at  the  doctor’s  tired  face  changed  my 
mind.  The  doctor  was  a man  of  such  professional 
conscientiousness  that  he  little  knew  how  to 
spare  himself.  He  had  a dispensary  at  his  home, 
where  he  saw  Koreans  and  foreigners  in  the 
mornings;  he  was  surgeon  in  charge  of  the  royal 
government  hospital,  where  he  spent  his  after- 

118 


AN  ADVENTURE  ON  HAN  RIVER  119 


. noons;  he  was  physician  to  his  majesty,  liable  to 
calls  at  all  hours;  and  added  to  this,  he  had 
charge  of  the  entire  foreign  practice  of  Seoul. 
His  wife  was  then  an  invalid,  confined  to  her  bed, 
and  much  of  the  care  of  the  Presbyterian  Mission, 
then  in  its  day  of  beginnings,  rested  upon  his 
shoulders.  Yes,  I would  go  with  him,  but  to 
skate,  not  to  hunt.  Two  white  horses  were  called 
up,  one  which  the  doctor  had  purchased  for  his 
wife,  and  the  other  a loan  to  him  from  the  king’s 
stables,  for  the  doctor  had  a Tennesseean’s  fond- 
ness for  horses.  Two  servants  carried  our  accou- 
trements. 

A pleasant  ride  brought  us  to  the  vicinity  of 
Yong-san  upon  the  river’s  bank.  Instead  of 
pausing  here,  however,  we  rode  still  farther  up 
the  river  to  a cluster  of  houses  where  lumber  is 
cut  and  timbers  prepared,  conspicuous  from  the 
distance  for  a goodly  tiled  house  and  a clump  of 
splendid  great  beech  trees.  Arrived  here  the 
view  was  fine.  Downward  to  the  steamer  landing 
the  river  swept,  with  a bank  that  was  a perfect 
curve.  In  the  background  rose  the  bluff,  man- 
tled to  the  very  top  with  the  populous  village  of 
Yong-san,  in  the  center  of  which,  like  a bright 
clasp,  was  set  the  red-brick  Catholic  Seminary. 

We  were  soon  off  our  horses.  The  winter  had 
been  mild,  and  to  my  disappointment  such  ice  as 
remained  on  the  river  looked  too  fragile  for  skat- 
ing. The  interest  therefore  all  centered  in  the 
hunt. 


120  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


There  is  a place  near  here  in  the  river,  especially 
where  the  river  bends,  the  surface  of  which,  even 
in  the  coldest  winters  when  the  ice  in  other  places 
has  been  eight  or  more  inches  thick,  I have  never 
seen  frozen  over.  Warm  spring's  in  the  river 
doubtless  account  for  this;  and  here,  all  winter 
long,  waterfowls  are  feeding.  At  the  water’s 
edge  below  us  was  a row  of  large  boats ; beyond 
was  a shell  of  thin  ice,  and  still  beyond  was  open 
water.  In  this  open  water  was  a succession  of 
groups  of  wild  swans,  ranged  down  the  stream 
like  the  links  of  a chain.  One  group  in  particular 
was  not  far  away;  and  the  doctor,  eager  for  a 
shot,  threw  off  his  overcoat,  which  he  replaced 
with  a “turimachi,  ” or  long  white  outer-gar- 
ment borrowed  from  a Korean.  While  I hid  my- 
self behind  a pile  of  brush,  he  craftily  sauntered 
down  to  the  water’s  edge,  in  the  hope  that  the 
birds  might  mistake  him  for  an  innocent-minded 
native  puttering  among  the  boats.  But  no,  the 
swans,  turning  their  graceful  necks,  gazed 
warily  at  the  doctor,  and,  taking  alarm,  quickly 
glided  out  of  range.  But  the  doctor  was  a 
man  of  spirit,  and  was  not  so  easily  to  be  outdone. 
Presently  he  was  hard  at  work,  tugging  at  this 
great  boat,  shoving  that  one  with  all  his  might. 
But  his  efforts  were  in  vain.  The  tide,  so  power- 
ful along  the  coasts  of  Korea,  was  low  in  the  river, 
and  the  boats  could  not  be  floated;  and  in  addi- 
tion, most  of  them  were  partly  embedded  in  ice. 
A few  moments  later  the  doctor,  some  distance 


AN  ADVENTURE  ON  HAN  RIVER  121 


away,  has  found  a skiff.  He  motions  for  me  to 
come.  The  boat  is  made  of  pine  boards  clumsily 
tacked  together.  We  have  no  business  to  enter  it. 
But  the  fever  of  the  hunt  is  upon  us,  and  we  are 
not  disposed  to  be  critical.  In  we  clamber, 
followed  by  two  half-grown  boys  to  row  us.  The 
doctor’s  handsome  black  dog  sprang  into  the 
water  to  follow  us,  but  gesticulations  and  splash- 
ings  of  the  water  induced  her  to  swim  back  to  the 
shore.  And  now  we  are  rapidly  approaching  the 
flock  that  eluded  us,  the  doctor  in  the  prow  and  the 
two  lads  erect  and  swaying  to  and  fro  as  they 
impel  the  boat  by  sculling  in  the  peculiar  native 
fashion.  Hope  is  vivid ; but  the  wily  swans,  too, 
are  alert.  They  raise  together,  their  pon- 
derous wings  pounding  the  water,  and  take  their 
flight  to  soar  into  the  upper  air.  Failure  only 
urges  the  doctor  on  to  seek  the  next  flock  farther 
down  the  river.  This  flock,  on  being  approached, 
similarly  took  to  flight;  and  the  third,  fourth, 
and  fifth  flocks  followed  their  example.  Lastly 
three  or  four  ducks  were  started,  and  these,  flying 
somewhat  nearer  to  our  boat,  the  doctor  ven- 
tured to  fire  at  them,  though  I believe  without 
disastrous  effect  upon  the  birds. 

Then  simultaneously  the  thought  occurred  to  us 
both,  “It  is  almost  time  for  the  gates  to  close.” 
In  those  ante-bellum  days,  every  night  shortly 
after  sundown,  with  a bray  of  horns  and  boom 
of  base-drum,  the  guardians  of  the  city’s  peace 
caused  the  great  gates  of  the  city  to  be  closed. 


122  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


and  then  retired  to  rest  in  the  comforting 
delusion  that  all  had  been  done  that  was  neces- 
sary to  keep  out  of  the  capital  any  hostile  foe,  even 
were  he  trained  according  to  Western  military 
methods — a system,  indeed,  of  about  as  much 
practical  efficacy  as  if  a council  of  lambs  should 
decide  to  ward  off  the  attacks  of  wolves  by  the 
defensive  use  of  their  heels.  The  closing  of  the 
gates,  with  certain  other  ancient  and  interesting 
customs,  has  now  passed  out  of  vogue,  to  be  sure, 
but  in  those  days  it  was  certainly  no  joke  for  the 
belated  foreigner  to  find  himself  confronted  of  an 
evening  by  the  closed  leaves  of  two  great,  fold- 
ing, iron-clad  gates.  It  involved  the  staying  out- 
side the  city  all  night,  or  climbing  the  high,  slip- 
pery wall ; but, be  it  whispered,  the  occasional  jingle 
of  a string  of  cash  operated  like  magic  in  swing- 
ing open  the  portals,  just  as  it  was  currently 
rumored,  though  of  course  most  slanderously, 
that  a similar  jingle,  only  in  greater  volume, 
opened  in  the  same  magic  way  doors  leading  to 
rank  and  place  in  the  governmental  world.  In  a 
word,  we  little  relished  the  idea  of  climbing  the 
city  wall  after  dark. 

We  must  hurry.  We  could  see  the  servants  and 
horses  on  the  shore,  but  could  we  get  to  them? 
A long  field  of  ice  lay  between  us  and  the  bank. 
There  was  nothing  to  do  but  to  row  back  up  the 
river  to  our  starting-place.  The  boys  were  not 
rowing  fast  enough.  We  took  the  oar  in  turn  and 
rowed  after  the  foreign  fashion.  But  the  oar 


AN  ADVENTURE  ON  HAN  RIVER  123 


being  peculiar  our  efforts  were  clumsy,  and  not 
unlikely  the  wrenching  of  the  boat  resulting 
therefrom  started  the  seams.  Of  a sudden  we 
became  aware  that  considerable  water  had  come 
in  through  the  bottom.  By  this  time  the  boys 
were  rowing.  We  observe  that  the  water  is 
coming  in  much  faster.  The  boys  are  now  swing- 
ing at  the  sculling-oar  with  all  their  strength, 
and  with  the  prow  headed  for  the  ice.  Now 
and  again,  in  their  frantic  endeavors,  they  drive 
the  boat  into  the  ice,  and  the  seams  are  opened 
wider.  Higher,  higher  creeps  the  water.  Then, 
in  a moment  I can  never  forget,  I see  the  prow 
pause  for  a moment,  then  sink  out  of  sight  under 
the  black,  cold  water.  Neither  of  us  could  swim. 
In  a moment  down  we  all  went.  It  all  happened 
in  less  time  than  suffices  for  the  telling.  My 
thought,  as  I sank,  was  to  grasp  at  the  boat 
when  I came  to  the  surface. 

And  now  this  is  our  situation.  We  are  on  a 
sand-bar  in  the  very  middle  of  the  river.  I am 
standing  in  water  up  to  my  waist ; the  doctor  is 
in  water  up  to  his  arm-pits,  while  only  the  heads 
of  the  boys  are  visible.  Natives  told  us  afterward 
that  only  a few  feet  on  either  side  of  where  we 
sank  the  water  was  deep  enough  to  have  drowned 
us.  Fortunately  we  were  close  to  the  ice.  The 
doctor  was  presently  clambering  out,  his  gun  still 
firmly  grasped  in  his  hand.  Next,  the  boys  were 
trying  in  vain  to  leap  out  of  the  water.  They  were 
in  my  wa)%  as  I came  to  where  they  clung  at  the 


124  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


edge  of  the  ice.  So  I reached  down  till  I could 
grasp  their  baggy  trousers  and  heaved  them  on 
like  logs,  and  presently  we  were  all  upon  the  ice. 

A glance  at  the  ice-field  was  not  reassuring.  It 
was  shell-ice  with  black  air-holes  all  about  us. 
Our  location  was  about  half-way  between  Yong- 
san  and  the  hamlet  with  the  beech  trees.  Those 
on  shore  were  aware  of  our  peril.  In  after  days, 
when  we  could  think  of  our  misfortunes  with 
greater  cheerfulness,  the  doctor,  with  that  pecul- 
iar, half-satirical  twitch  of  his  heavily  mustached 
upper  lip,  would  tell  of  the  tremulousness  of  my 
tones  as  I called  ''Ossa,  ossa''  (hurry,  hurry), 
and  I believe  I responded  that  his  voice  had  taken 
on  a hoarseness  that  was  hardly  natural.  But  if 
we  are  frightened,  the  boys  are  terrified. 
One  is  dancing  about  in  a way  that  threatens  to 
break  the  ice.  Expostulations  are  unheeded. 
Only  one  thing  remains:  the  doctor  points  his 
empty  gun  at  the  frantic  youth,  with  the  command 
to  desist.  Now  force  is  an  argument  the  validity 
of  which,  from  centuries  of  use,  the  average 
Korean  is  prompt  to  recognize.  The  boy  sub- 
sides. Soon  quiet  settles  upon  our  group  as  we 
recognize  that  the  men  on  shore  are  doing 
all  that  can  be  done,  and  that  we  dare  not  move 
about  for  fear  of  breaking  the  thin  ice.  The 
doctor,  in  his  white  Korean  coat,  sits  upon  the  ice 
with  his  gun  across  his  lap ; I am  kneeling  with 
my  overcoat  tucked  under  my  knees ; one  boy  is 
standing  erect  and  the  other  lad  is  seated.  Night 


AN  ADVENTURE  ON  HAN  RIVER  125 


has  now  fallen,  and  from  the  overclouded  sky 
the  full  moon  sheds  a dim  and  hazy  light.  Not  a 
ripple  stirs  the  water,  and  a deep  quiet  rests  upon 
the  river.  True,  we  hear  faintly,  from  the  hamlet 
with  the  beech  trees,  the  hum  of  voices,  and 
sounds  that  suggest  the  chopping  of  ice  around 
the  ice-bound  boats.  As  silent  and  motionless  as 
a group  of  statuary,  we  keep  our  several  attitudes 
for  the  space  of  an  hour.  The  mental  tension  is 
extreme. 

Finally  we  observe  that  water  to  the  depth  of 
an  inch  has  come  over  the  ice.  The  tide  is  com- 
ing in!  Now  the  water  has  risen  to  the  depth  of 
two  or  three  inches.  Then  we  are  conscious  that 
the  cake  upon  which  we  are  seated  has  broken 
loose  from  the  ice-field,  and  is  turning  around, 
preparatory  to  floating  down  the  river.  Our 
danger  now  is  great,  for  should  our  frail  raft 
strike  against  an  obstruction,  we  would  inevitably 
sink  beneath  the  deep  black  waters. 

But  just  then  from  an  unobserved  quarter,  the 
direction  of  the  village  of  Yong-san,  came  the 
sound  of  the  plash  of  an  oar.  Through  the  dim 
moonlight  we  discern  a boat  with  five  rescuers 
approaching.  The  revulsion  of  feeling  was  strong. 
But  still  we  dreaded  lest,  by  the  ungentle  striking 
of  the  boat  against  the  ice,  we  should  be  precipi- 
tated into  the  stream.  Under  the  doctor’s  direc- 
tions they  reach  the  edge  of  the  ice  without  mis- 
hap. A long  oar  is  extended  toward  us,  which 
we,  beginning  with  the  boys,  grasp  each  in  turn, 


126  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


and,  sliding,  are  pulled  to  the  edge  of  the  boat 
and  thus  rescued.  What  ecstatic  joy  fills  our 
hearts! 

L't’pon  reaching  terra  firma,the  servants  bring  the 
horses.  But  to  ride  to  Seoul  from  Yong-san  in 
our  frozen  garments  is  out  of  the  question.  The 
doctor,  full  of  resource,  at  once  calls  for  Korean 
clothes.  They  are  soon  brought.  We  do  not  stop 
to  enter  a house,  but  under  the  dim  moonlight,  in 
an  apartment  walled  about  with  living  heads,  we 
take  off  such  garments  as  are  wet  or  stiffened 
with  ice,  and  replace  them  with  the  baggy  Ko- 
rean clothes,  even  to  the  straw  sandals.  The 
thought  of  the  doctor’s  sick  wife  at  home  lends 
wings  to  his  speed.  In  a moment  he  is  ready  and  off 
on  his  horse.  Our  wet  clothes  are  slapped  together 
promiscuously  upon  a carrier’s  frame,  and  are 
started  ahead  upon  the  back  of  a coolie.  Formal 
thanks  to  our  benefactors  are  reserved  for  a later 
time  and  a form  more  substantial  than  words. 
Now,  with  the  servant  running  beside,  I set  out  at 
a rapid  gait  for  the  city,  which  brings  again  the 
glow  of  warmth  into  my  frozen  limbs. 

Arrived  at  the  city  wall,  the  horse  and  servant 
must  stay  outside  until  the  morning;  and  there 
is  nothing  for  me  to  do  but  to  clamber  up  the 
twenty  feet  of  sheer  stone  wall.  A man  sent  by 
the  doctor  is  waiting  to  accompany  me  over  the 
wall.  Side  by  side  he  climbs  with  me,  now  draw- 
ing back  my  Korean  robe  so  that  I shall  not  be 
impeded,  now  guiding  my  hands  to  safe  projec- 


AN  ADVENTURE  ON  HAN  RIVER  127 


tions.  Near  the  top  he  hastens  ahead  and  pulls 
me  over  the  wall.  Thence  a short,  brisk  walk 
brings  me  to  the  doctor’s  home,  where  I find  him 
already  arrived  and  clothed  in  his  usual  attire. 
Congratulations  alternate  with  merriment  at  my 
appearance,  while  underneath  it  all  was  deep 
thankfulness  for  the  Providence  that  had  rescued 
us  from  peril.  The  next  morning  the  servants 
who  had  accompanied  us  remarked  that  we  were 
“as  men  who  had  come  back  from  the  dead.’’ 
And  I think  they  were  correct.  Two  or  three 
days  later  the  two  boys  came  to  see  us,  and  they 
reported  that  their  mother,  instead  of  rendering 
thanks  to  such  deities  as  she  knew,  had  soundly 
trounced  them  both,  though  for  what  reason  they 
did  not  state.  But  as  we  fed  them  with  Korean 
sweetmeats  and  gave  them  a proper  amount  of 
cash,  I think  that  we  consoled  them. 


CHAPTER  X 


LEAVES  OF  MISSION  HISTORY 

With  the  exception  of  Thibet,  which  has  its 
missionaries,  yet  keeps  them  barred  beyond  closed 
gates,  Korea  is  the  youngest  of  the  missionary 
countries.  Rev.  John  Ross,  of  Moukden,  although 
a missionary  to  the  Chinese  in  Manchuria,  prior  to 
the  time  of  the  signing  of  the  treaties,  became 
very  much  interested  in  the  people  of  Korea 
through  men  of  that  land  whom  he  met  in  Mouk- 
den, and  who  were  able  to  converse  with  him 
through  written  Chinese.  With  the  information 
thus  acquired,  he  wrote  a book  in  1880,  entitled 
“Corea,  its  History,  Manners  and  Customs.”  He 
also  employed  some  of  these  men  to  translate  the 
entire  New  Testament  into  the  Unmun.  As  a 
pioneer  version  it  was  good ; but  it  would  have  been 
more  available  for  use  among  the  common  people 
had  Mr.  Ross  himself  been  personally  acquainted 
with  the  language,so  as  to  supervise  the  work  of  his 
Korean  translators.  His  very  great  interest  in 
the  people  was  still  further  shown  by  his  sending 
across  the  border  into  the  north  of  the  country 
Korean  colporteurs  with  books;  one  of  whose 
number,  Mr.  Saw,  started  the  now  flourishing 
work  at  Chang-yen  in  the  Whang- Hai  province, 

128 


LEAVES  OF  MISSION  HISTORY  129 


and  later  became  one  of  the  most  valued  helpers 
our  Presbyterian  mission  has  ever  possessed. 

The  American  Protestant  missionary  authorities 
were  prompt  to  avail  themselves  of  the  oppor- 
tunity, afforded  them  by  the  signing  of  the  treaty 
in  1882,  to  enter  the  “Forbidden  Land.”  In 
the  spring  of  1884,  J.  W.  Heron,  M.D.,  received 
appointment  from  the  Northern  Presbyterian 
Board  to  go  to  Korea.  His  departure,  however, 
was  delayed.  In  the  summer  of  the  same  year 
Rev.  Dr.  R.  S.  McClay,  of  the  Japan  Methodist 
Conference,  made  a flying  visit  to  Korea  to  spy 
out  the  land.  The  first  Protestant  missionary, 
however,  to  enter  the  country  with  the  view  to 
permanent  abode  was  Dr.  H.  N.  Allen,  our  present 
U.  S.  Minister  to  Korea,  who,  with  his  family, 
was  transferred  by  the  Presbyterian  Board  from 
China  to  Korea  in  the  autumn  of  1884.  In  a coun- 
try where  the  martyrdom  of  the  French  fathers 
and  thousands  of  their  fellows  was  still  fresh  in 
the  memory,  and  where  the  prejudice  against  all 
Western  religions  was  still  strong,  the  Doctor 
found  it  convenient  to  lay  more  emphasis  on  the 
fact  that  he  was  the  physician  of  the  foreign 
legations  than  that  he  had  come  with  the  view  to 
opening  Protestant  missionary  work.  Dr.  Allen’s 
judiciousness,  together  with  the  eclat  given  him 
by  the  royal  favor,  which  was  due  to  his  success- 
ful surgical  treatment  of  the  sword-cuts  inflicted 
upon  Min  Yong  Ik,  a cousin  of  the  queen,  in  the 
troubles  of  1884,  and  which  resulted  in  his 


130  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


appointment  as  royal  physician  and  surgeon  in 
charge  of  the  government  hospital,  no  doubt 
materially  smoothed  the  way  for  the  labors  of  his 
clerical  brethren  who  shortly  followed  him.  In  a 
very  material  way  it  may  be  said  that  the  gates 
which  long  had  been  shut  against  the  missionary 
worker  were  opened  at  the  point  of  a lancet.  In 
the  spring  of  1885,  Rev.  H.  G.  Underwood,  of  the 
Presbyterian  Mission,  who  had  spent  several 
months  in  Japan  studying  the  Korean  language, 
appeared  upon  the  scene.  He  was  known  by  the 
authorities  to  be  a clergyman,  and  as  no  objection 
to  his  coming  was  raised  by  them,  he  was  followed 
in  the  summer  by  W.  B.  Scranton,  M.D.,  and 
family,  and  Rev.  and  Mrs.  H.  G.  Appenzeller  of 
the  M.  E.  Mission.  Soon  after  came  J.  W. 
Heron,  M.D.,  and  wife,  and  presently  Mrs.  M. 
F.  Scranton  appeared  to  join  her  son  and  enter 
upon  school  and  women’s  work.  The  reception 
afforded  by  the  nobility  and  common  people  alike 
to  these  “visitors  from  the  West,”  who  had 
brought  with  them  their  wives  and  their  belong- 
ings, was  an  interesting  compound  of  curiosity 
and  courtesy.  The  missionary,  meanwhile,  was 
left  to  quietly  push  his  work.  That  no  conserva- 
tive reaction  should  result,  however,  was  more 
than  could  be  expected.  In  1888  the  ancient 
canard,  that  has  made  so  much  trouble  in  China, 
that  the  missionaries  were  stealing  and  killing 
babies  for  medicinal  purposes,  created  a tempo- 
rary disturbance  in  Seoul ; and  about  this  time  the 


LEAVES  OF  MISSION  HISTORY  131 


authorities  sought  to  restrict  the  so-called 
‘ ‘ proselyting’  ’ done  by  the  missionaries.  It  raised 
a difficult  question  of  conscience  for  us  workers 
on  the  field.  No  one  thought  seriously  of  aban- 
doning our  religious  work.  Some  believed  that, 
like  Peter  and  John  under  similar  circumstances, 
they  should  appeal  to  a “higher  law”;  while 
others  thought  it  the  part  of  wisdom  to  bend 
temporarily  before  the  storm,  and  pursue  for  a 
time  “quieter  methods,”  such,  for  instance,  as 
the  omission  of  the  singing  of  hymns  from  the 
order  of  the  church  services.  A year  passed 
away,  and  scarcely  a ripple  remained  to  tell  of 
the  once  perturbed  waters.  Unmolested,  the 
work  went  steadily  and  strongly  forward,  with 
little  of  external  history  to  record,  until  the 
spring  of  the  year  of  the  war,  when  there  occurred 
the  persecution  of  the  Christians  at  Pyeng-yang, 
to  be  narrated  in  another  chapter.  In  October, 
1895,  occurred  the  Decennial  of  the  Founding  of 
Protestant  Missions  in  Korea,  upon  which  occa- 
sion a number  of  important  papers  were  read. 

It  should  here  be  observed  that,  in  addition  to 
the  two  missions  already  mentioned,  during  the 
course  of  the  years  other  sister  missions  came  to 
their  side,  to  join  in  the  battle  against  heathen- 
ism. In  1889  came  Presbyterian  missionaries 
from  far  Australia;  also  in  the  same  year  Mr.  M. 
C.  Fenwick,  of  Canada,  of  the  “Korean  Itinerant 
Mission.”  In  1890,  the  genial  Bishop  C.  J. 
Corfe  arrived  from  England,  with  the  representa- 


132  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


lives  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Gospel.  In  the  same  year  appeared  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
R.  A.  Hardie,  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  mission  of 
Canada.  In  1892  came  our  brothers  of  the 
Southern  Presbyterian  Mission.  In  1895  appeared 
representatives  of  the  training-school  founded  by 
the  late  Dr.  Gordon,  of  Boston.  Their  official 
title  is  the  “Ella  Thing  Memorial  Mission,”  and 
they  are  Baptist  in  belief.  In  1896,  Rev.  Dr.  C. 
F.  Reid,  the  well-known  Chinese  missionary, 
came  as  the  advance-guard  of  the  American 
Methodist  Mission,  South. 

We  have  a roll  of  honor  in  Korea — those  who 
have  been  summoned  to  a higher  service  and  a 
richer  life  in  the  realm  beyond  the  grave.  There 
was  Miss  Anna  P.  Jacobsen,  the  trained  nurse, 
with  all  the  splendid  fire  and  courage  of  her 
Viking  ancestry;  and  Hugh  Brown,  M. D.,  full  of 
sturdy  strength;  and  John  W.  Heron,  M. D.,  the 
soul  of  fidelity  and  honor — one  whom  all  his 
friends  loved  as  strongly  as  a blood  relation. 
These  were  members  of  the  Northern  Presbyte- 
rian Mission.  There  was  also  the  Australian 
Presbyterian  missionary.  Rev.  John  Henry  Dav- 
ies, who  gave  the  promise  of  becoming  the  best 
all-round  missionary  in  the  land;  and  the  tall, 
swarthy  Presbyterian  brother  from  Nova  Scotia, 
Rev.  William  J.  McKenzie,  the  successful  advo- 
cate of  native  self-support;  also  William  J.  Hall, 
M.  D. , of  the  Northern  Methodist  Mission,  the  saint- 
liest  man  that  ever  crossed  the  shores  of  Korea. 


LEAVES  OF  MISSION  HISTORY  133 


There  has  always  been  a marked  spirit  of 
comity  among  the  missionaries  of  Korea.  The 
Methodist  and  Presbyterian  missions,  founded  at 
about  the  same  time,  grew  up  together  like  two 
children.  They  had  much  the  same  experiences, 
and  in  a number  of  ways  they  united  their  work. 
The  missions  coming  into  the  field  at  a later 
period  imbibed  the  same  fraternal  spirit ; and  the 
whole  work  has  thus  far  been  conducted  along  the 
lines  of  certain  well-marked,  though  unwritten, 
rules  of  comity.  While  the  policy  of  the  missions 
was  still  in  a formative  state,  it  was  impossible  for 
all  to  see  eye  to  eye,  but  in  those  days  the  lines  of 
cleavage  ran  nowhere  near  to  the  denominational 
walls.  For  instance,  this  was  the  case  at  the  time 
when  we  were  threatened  with  the  transplanta- 
tion of  the  “term  question”  to  Korea.  This 
controversy  originated  two  hundred  years  ago 
between  the  Jesuit  and  Dominican  missionaries 
in  China.  When  the  Protestant  missionaries 
came,  they  took  up  the  controversy  where  the 
others  had  left  off,  and  for  forty  years  their 
scholars  argued  the  question.  They  may  be  at 
it  yet,  for  aught  that  I know  to  the  contrary. 
The  question  is  simply  this : the  Chinese,  and  the 
Koreans  too,  recognize  a supreme  deity  who,  by 
the  Chinese,  is  called  Shangti  and  by  the  Koreans, 
Hananim,  and  of  whom  their  conceptions  are 
pure,  though  very  vague.  The  term  question, 
then,  consists  in  whether  or  not  it  is  allowable  to 
adopt  as  the  name  for  God  the  term  Shangti,  or 


134  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


Hananim,  and  explain  our  conception  of  Him  by 
the  attributes  we  affirm  of  God.  In  Korea,  rather 
than  bequeath  to  our  posterity  an  endless  debate, 
the  solution  of  the  whole  matter  at  which  we 
arrived  was  that  we  cease  to  look  for  uniformity, 
and  allow  each  person  to  use  whatever  one  of 
half  a dozen  available  terms  he  preferred. 

The  first  ten  years  of  mission  work,  terminating 
in  1894,  the  year  of  the  war,  was  a period  of 
preparation.  We  were  learning  Korean,  and,  what 
is  still  more  important,  Koreans.  The  prepara- 
tion of  a Christian  literature  had  to  be  begun. 
We  had  all  the  difficulties  that  usually  attend 
the  process  of  getting  our  religion  rooted  in  a 
new  heathen  soil.  The  people  at  large  were 
invariably  suspicious  of  us  and  our  religion. 
Now  and  then  whole  groups  of  men  would  show 
an  interest  in  our  preaching;  but  because  perhaps 
their  mercenary  aims  had  not  been  satisfied,  or 
perhaps  they  lacked  the  moral  courage  to  aban- 
don their  vices  and  heathen  practices,  their  inter- 
est was  not  permanent.  But,  on  the  other  hand, 
there  were  individuals  and  there  were  communi- 
ties where  the  Gospel  wrought  a marked  change 
in  lives.  Such  converts,  under  careful  Bible 
training,  developed  into  excellent  workers.  Then 
came  the  war,  and  since  then,  beginning  with  the 
province  in  which  Seoul  is  located  and  stretching 
away  to  the  northern  frontier,  on  the  western  side 
of  the  peninsula,  there  is  a section  of  country 
where  a marked  forward  religious  movement  has 


LEAVES  OF  MISSION  HISTORY  135 


been  in  progress,  and  in  which  the  active  agents 
have  been  largely  the  Korean  Christians  them- 
selves. 


CHAPTER  XI 


MISSIONARY  LIFE  AND  WORK 

Some  people  are  of  the  opinion  that  anyone  will 
do  for  a foreign  missionary.  Let  us  see.  I have 
sometimes  thought  that,  considering  the  expert 
knowledge  which  his  circumstances  from  time  to 
time  require  of  the  worker  in  foreign  lands,  that 
to  be  ideally  prepared^  the  new  missionary  would 
reach  his  field  of  labor  at  the  age  of  sixty  years.  In 
the  first  place,  he  must  have  a thorough  collegiate 
education ; and  then  he  certainly  must  secure  his 
diploma  from  the  theological  seminary.  After 
this,  he  might  take  a year  or  two  of  study  in  the 
English  Bible.  And  then,  considering  how  well 
the  art  of  the  physician  prepares  the  way  for  the 
acceptance  of  the  message  of  the  preacher,  he 
might  take  a course  in  the  medical  college. 
Again,  in  the  assignment  of  work,  he  is  liable  to 
be  put  in  charge  of  a boys’  school  or  “missionary 
college’’;  and  who  thinks  of  teaching  school  in 
these  days  of  improved  methods  without  a course 
of  study  in  some  normal  school?  For  his  transla- 
tion work,  he  must  be  a trained  linguist.  Again, 
the  native  Christians  are  constantly  bringing  to 
him  new  and  intricate  questions,  soliciting  his 
advice,  and  the  administrative  work,  which  takes 

136 


MISSIONARY  LIFE  AND  WORK  137 


so  much  of  his  time  likewise  calls  for  a judicially 
trained  mind ; see  how  he  would  be  benefited  by 
a course  at  the  law  school ! In  preaching  to  the 
unconverted  his  audience  is  not  composed  of 
intelligent  heathen,  as  at  home,  but  of  heathen 
densely  ignorant  of  the  Gospel;  how,  then, 
should  he  know  the  most  effective  methods  for 
evangelistic  preaching?  From  the  number  of  his 
native  converts  promising  young  men  must  be 
selected  and  trained  into  preachers  of  the  Gospel ; 
what  an  advantage  to  him  to  fill  a professorship 
in  a theological  seminary  for  a time ! Then  he  is 
liable  to  be  made  a treasurer  of  his  mission  or 
station ; several  years’  service  as  a bookkeeper  in 
a bank  would  splendidly  fit  him  for  his  position. 
Moreover,  houses  must  be  built,  and  the  chief 
business  of  the  native  carpenter  is  to  cheat  him 
by  day  and  by  night,  so  perforce  the  missionary 
becomes  his  own  contractor.  How  could  the 
prospective  missionary  better  fit  himself  for  a 
very  necessary  part  of  his  work,  than  by  driving 
nails  through  an  apprenticeship  under  a compe- 
tent builder?  Again,  the  zeal  of  the  contributors 
at  home  must  be  fed  with  the  fuel  of  a constant 
stream  of  journalistic  articles  from  the  pen  of  the 
man  on  the  field ; a period  of  training  as  reporter 
on  the  “Daily  Hustler’’  would  give  him  just  the 
literary  style  required  for  this  portion  of  his 
work.  But,  to  speak  in  all  seriousness,  no  moral 
nor  intellectual  weakling  will  do  for  a foreign 
missionary;  and  the  more  thorough  his  train- 


138  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


ing  and  the  broader  his  experience,  the  better 
are  his  chances  of  success. 

Let  me  here  quote  the  admirable  missionary 
qualifications  named  by  Dr.  George  Smith,  at  the 
convention  of  Student  Volunteers,  at  Keswick, 
England,  in  July  of  1893: 

1.  He  should  be  conscious  of  the  call  of  Christ 
and  the  gift  of  the  Spirit. 

2.  He  should  covet  earnestly  the  possession  of 
the  highest  efficiency. 

3.  He  must  follow  fully  the  rule  of  Christian 
charity  and  good  temper. 

4.  He  must  learn  habits  of  order  and  business 
abilit)%  that  will  make  him  a wise  steward  of  his 
Lord’s  money. 

5.  He  must  be  sympathetic  and  loving  toward 
native  graces. 

6.  He  must  give  himself  to  unceasing  prayer. 

7.  He  must  yield  absolute  submission  to  the 
mind  and  will  of  God. 

Allow  me  to  add  one  word  more ; he  must  pos- 
sess unquenchable  patience. 

With  what  interest  do  we  look  forward  to  the 
coming  of  the  new  missionary.  We  expect  him 
to  settle  off-hand  the  questions  that  have  per- 
plexed us  for  years,  upon  the  mere  statement  of 
the  difficulty.  But,  strange  to  remark,  the  Pres- 
byterian Board  in  New  York  places  such  a value 
upon  his  judgment  that  it  will  not  let  him  vote 
until  he  has  lived  for  a year  upon  the  field;  and 
its  Korea  mission  has  added  the  further  require- 


MISSIONARY  LIFE  AND  WORK  139 


merit,  that  he  can  then  vote  only  after  having 
passed  successfully  his  first  year’s  examination  in 
the  language.  I shall  always  remember  the  reply 
of  that  prince  of  missionaries,  the  lamented  Rev. 
Dr.  J.  L.  Nevius,  of  Chefoo,  when,  in  answer  to 
a query  of  mine  relating  to  some  question  of  mis- 
sion policy  in  the  conduct  of  schools,  he  replied : 
“If  you  had  asked  me  that  question  twenty  years 
ago,  I could  have  told  you.  Now  I do  not  know.” 
In  passing,  let  me  pay  a deserved  tribute  to  the 
memory  of  that  great  and  good  man.  In  the 
spring  of  1890,  in  the  days  when  we,  too,  of  the 
Presbyterian  Mission  in  Korea,  were  “young 
missionaries,’’  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Nevius  paid  a visit 
to  Seoul;  and  they  so  won  our  eager  attention 
with  their  loving  and  wise  counsels,  that,  as  the 
result  of  their  visit,  our  entire  mission  policy  was 
altered  for  the  better. 

We  come  now  to  organization.  In  Korea,  two 
types  of  mission  organization  prevail.  In  one 
type  all  the  authority  and  power  are  vested  in 
one  man,  the  bishop.  Such  are  the  Roman  Cath- 
olic and  English  Church  missions.  The  Metho- 
dist Mission  would  probably  come  under  this  class, 
for  certainly  the  Northern  Methodist  Mission  is 
visited  yearly  by  a bishop  from  America,  who 
holds  an  annual  conference  and  settles  all  impor- 
tant questions  of  mission  policy.  A number  of 
the  bishops,  I may  remark,  have  endeared  them- 
selves to  the  members  of  the  foreign  community 
in  Seoul  by  holding  meetings  open  to  the  gen- 


140  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


eral  public,  for  the  deepening  of  religious  life.  In 
the  intervals  between  visits,  the  authority  resides 
largely  in  a mission  superintendent  appointed 
by  the  bishop,  though  considerable  power  adheres 
in  the  general  body  of  workers.  The  other  type 
of  organization  is  that  of  control  by  the  mission 
itself,  as  exemplified  in  the  Baptist  and  Presby- 
terian missions.  In  the  matter  of  church  organi- 
zation, to  assist  in  the  oversight  of  the  native 
work,  our  Methodist  brethren  are  accustomed  to 
license  yearly  Korean  local  preachers  and 
exhorters.  In  the  matter  of  church  membership, 
they  have  two  classes,  full  members  and  proba- 
tioners, with  the  further  distinction  that  some 
adult  applicants  receive  baptism  and  some  do 
not,  while  in  a state  of  probation. 

The  Northern,  Southern,  and  Australian  Pres- 
byterian missions  of  Korea,  with  an  independent 
Canadian  missionary,  have  combined  their  native 
work  under  one  church  organization,  to  which 
they  have  given  the  general  name  of  “Jesus  Doc- 
trine Church.”  The  male  members  of  these  mis- 
sions are  organized  into  a “Council  of  Presbyterian 
Missionaries,”  which  is  the  highest  church  court 
we  possess.  In  time  this  body  will  be  trans- 
formed into  a presbytery,  or  synod,  when  our 
Korean  brethren  become  eligible  for  membership, 
for  as  yet  we  have  no  ordained  native  ministers 
and  only  one  ruling  elder.  In  a number  of 
churches  Korean  deacons  have  been  ordained, 
and  in  the  course  of  time  the  other  orders  of 


MISSIONARY  LIFE  AND  WORK  141 


church  officers  will  be  set  apart  for  their  respon- 
sible positions.  In  our  entire  church  government 
we  have  what  might  be  termed  a preliminary- 
organization.  In  localities  where  missionaries 
reside  the  churches  are  governed  by  foreign 
sessions,  in  which  the  Korean  deacons  have  a 
seat,  with  the  privileges  of  the  floor,  but  no  vote. 
The  work  in  the  country  districts  is  organized 
along  the  line  of  the  so-called  Nevius  system. 
From  the  circle  of  believers  in  a given  village  are 
chosen  one  or  two  of  the  most  suitable  men,  who 
are  called  “leaders,”  to  whom  are  assigned  the  care 
of  the  church  services  and  the  oversight  of  the  be- 
lievers, but  without  the  power  to  administer  the 
sacraments.  The  West  Gate  Church  of  Seoul  and 
the  church  in  the  city  of  Pyeng-yang  have  both 
a foreign  session  and  a body  of  Korean  leaders. 

The  country  churches  are  visited  periodically 
by  the  missionary  in  charge,  or  his  Korean 
helper.  Once  a year  a training-class  is  held  at  the 
mission  station,  and  the  missionary  invites  these 
leaders  up  for  a term  of  study  in  the  Bible.  In 
the  taking  of  members  into  the  church,  we  find  it 
wise  to  use  the  utmost  caution.  When  the  session, 
or  itinerating  minister  with  sessional  powers, 
feels  reasonably  sure  that  a given  person  is  a 
Christian,  then,  with  certain  public  ceremonies  in 
the  church,  the  man  is  enrolled  as  a “ catechumen,  ’ ’ 
or  applicant  for  baptism.  He  thereupon  joins  the 
catechumen  class,  with  a prescribed  course  of 
study  in  the  Bible  and  certain  Christian  books. 


142  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


The  general  rule  is  that  he  wait  at  least  six 
months  before  he  be  given  church  membership. 
The  sessional  examinations  for  admission  to  the 
church — I can  speak  with  certainty  for  Seoul — are 
made  very  thorough,  something  between  the 
similar  examination  of  candidates  in  the  home-land 
and  the  ordeal  through  which  the  young  minister 
passes  when  examined  by  his  presbytery  for  the 
licensure  to  preach.  If  the  session  feels  satisfied 
with  the  examination,  he  is  baptized  and  taken 
into  the  church ; if  the  contrary  is  the  case,  he  is 
asked  to  wait  for  a time,  until  his  grasp  of  the 
truth  is  clearer,  or,  for  instance,  until  he  keeps 
the  Sabbath  better  or  attends  with  regularity  the 
mid-week  prayer-meeting. 

Let  us  turn  our  attention  to  the  work  of  the 
medical  missionary.  There  is  no  doubt  that  in 
the  early  days  of  our  Protestant  missionary  work 
in  Korea,  the  doctor  and  the  teacher,  but  more 
especially  the  doctor,  did  a preliminary  work 
which  made  possible  the  labors  of  their  clerical 
brethren.  Let  us  watch  a day’s  work  in  the 
Presbyterian  hospital,  under  the  charge  of  Dr.  O. 
R.  Avison,  in  the  buildings  kindly  loaned  to  the 
mission  by  his  majesty,  who  has  in  many  ways 
shown  his  appreciation  of  the  missionaries’  aim 
and  work,  as  when,  in  an  audience  he  accorded  to 
Bishop  Ninde,  of  the  Methodist  church,  early  in 
1895,  he  directly  requested  him  to  send  more 
missionaries.  In  the  wards  each  morning,  pray- 
ers, with  a suitable  amount  of  religious  teaching. 


MISSIONARY  LIFE  AND  WORK  143 


are  conducted  by  the  doctor.  There  is  a pay 
ward  and  a general  ward.  The  foreign  lady 
nurse,  with  the  aid  of  a corps  of  three  or  four 
bright-faced  Korean  hospital  assistants,  attends  to 
the  dressings  of  the  patients.  Perhaps  a surgical 
operation  is  on  hand,  over  in  the  large  operating 
room,  when  the  entire  force  must  be  present ; or 
the  doctor  calls  the  young  fellows  above  men- 
tioned, who  are  also  studying  medicine  with  him, 
into  his  room  for  a medical  lecture.  The  after- 
noon comes,  and  a group  of  men  are  seen  outside 
in  the  court  or  in  the  room  provided  for  them, 
waiting  for  the  dispensary  to  open.  A little  bell 
tinkles,  and  a man  holding  a strip  of  wood  in  his 
hands,  on  which  is  marked  a given  number  in 
Chinese  characters,  arises  and  goes  within  to  the 
doctor,  to  be  followed  shortly  by  the  man  with  the 
next  higher  number.  Presently,  a clerical  mis- 
sionary or  Korean  helper  joins  the  waiting  group 
to  tell  them  that  there  is  healing  for  their  sin-sick 
souls  as  well  as  for  the  ills  of  the  body.  A Chris- 
tian bookstore  adjoins  the  waiting-room.  Tinkle, 
tinkle,  and  another  man  goes  inside.  Let  us  go 
with  him.  In  the  dispensary  we  find  the  doctor 
and  his  assistants.  The  cases  are  disposed  of 
systematically  and  rapidly.  The  name  of  the  man 
and  the  nature  of  his  trouble  go  into  the  register. 
If  it  be  medicine  that  is  required,  a prescription 
is  promptly  written  and  passed  in  to  the  youth  in 
the  drug  room.  If  a minor  operation  be  neces- 
sary, the  instruments  swiftly  do  their  work.  A 


144  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


nominal  charge  covering  the  cost  of  the  medicines 
is  made  in  a number  of  the  cases.  And  so  the 
afternoon  passes  in  the  effort  to  bring  help  to  the 
bodies  and  souls  of  a few  of  this  world’s  sick  ones. 

There  is  a women’s  department  of  the  hospital, 
with  a lady  physician  to  meet  the  patients.  But, 
in  considering  this  branch  of  the  work,  I am 
going  to  take  you  to  the  women’s  hospital  of  the 
Methodist  Mission,  in  the  center  of  the  foreign 
settlement.  We  find  Doctor  Mary  M.  Cut- 
ler in  charge.  Her  small,  but  well-appointed 
hospital  nestles  beside  the  street  under  the  hill  of 
the  large  girls’  school.  In  addition  to  Korean 
female  assistants,  some  of  whom  are  graduates  of 
the  school,  she  has  the  help  of  missionary  work- 
ers, one  a trained  nurse  and  one  a Bible  worker. 
To  the  hospital  come  the  women,  some  in  closed 
chairs  and  some  on  foot.  Part  of  the  work  is 
done  in  the  hospital,  and  part  in  the  homes  of  the 
patients,  and  in  both  places  we  can  be  certain 
that  the  Gospel  truth  is  faithfully  taught.  The 
diseases  the  doctors  meet  with  are  chiefly  malaria, 
indigestion,  worms,  skin  diseases,  eye  troubles,  , 
bone  and  joint  diseases,  consumption,  venereal 
diseases,  smallpox,  remittent  fever,  a species  of 
typhus  fever  called  hnpiung^  and  occasionally 
a leper  is  seen.  The  native  doctors  have  their 
herbs  and  mixtures,  some  of  which  are  fairly 
good.  In  their  practice  they  frequently  stick 
needles  into  the  flesh,  and  apply  the  burning 
of  the  moxa  to  the  skin;  but  of  surgery  they 


Korean  Young  Women. 


MISSIONARY  LIFE  AND  WORK  145 


have  absolutely  no  knowledge  and  it  is  here  that 
the  foreign  doctor  makes  his  reputation. 

There  is  one  sharp  distinction  between  the 
heathen  and  the  Christian  spirit.  The  heathen 
helps  his  relative  or  the  member  of  his  guild  or 
insurance  society,  who  can  be  relied  upon  to  help 
him  in  turn  in  the  hour  of  need ; but  for  the  poor 
unfortunate  whose  only  claim  is  the  bond  of  a 
common  humanity,  he  does  absolutely  nothing. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  Christian,  in  the  spirit  of 
the  Good  Samaritan,  not  merely  looks  with  com- 
passion upon  the  suffering  stranger,  but  cares  for 
him  as  well,  either  as  an  individual  or  collectively 
by  the  erection  of  hospitals  and  asylums  of  every 
description.  Here  is  an  instance:  A few  years 
ago,  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  both  inside 
and  outside  of  the  west  wall  of  Seoul,  you  might 
have  seen  numbers  of  the  sick  and  dying  stretched 
upon  the  ground.  They  were  people  afflicted 
with  contagious  diseases,  servants  or  poor  people 
occupying  buildings  in  the  compounds  of  more 
prosperous  Koreans,  who  had  cruelly  turned  them 
into  the  streets  to  die.  This  is,  however,  no 
longer  the  case;  for  Christian  philanthropy  has 
provided,  outside  the  west  gate  of  the  city,  the 
“Frederick  Underwood  Shelter,”  where  the  out- 
cast sick  may  resort  for  shelter  and  medical  care. 
In  connection  with  this  institution,  Mrs.  Dr. 
Underwood  conducts  a dispensary. 

What  an  arsenal  is  to  an  army,  such  the  mission 
press  is  to  the  band  of  missionary  workers.  The 


146  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


Tri-lingual  press  of  the  Methodist  Mission, 
founded  by  our  large-hearted  brother,  the  Rev. 
F.  Ohlinger,  now  returned  to  his  former  field  in 
Foochow,  China,  furnishes  the  American  mission- 
aries with  the  larger  part  of  their  missionary  liter- 
ature. They  are  able  to  print  in  English, 
Unmun  or  Chinese,  whence  the  mission  press  gets 
its  name.  Without  neglecting  other  forms  of 
work,  there  is  a considerable  literary  activity  on 
the  part  of  the  missionaries.  First  and  most 
important  is  Bible  translation.  Engaged  in  this 
work  are  the  following  Board  of  Bible  Transla- 
tors: Messrs.  W.  D.  Reynolds,  of  the  Southern 
Presbyterian  Mission;  H.  G.  Appenzeller  and 
W.  B.  Scranton,  of  the  Northern  M.  E.  Mission; 
M.  N.  Trollope,  of  the  English  Church  Mission; 
J.  S.  Gale  and  H.  G.  Underwood,  representing 
the  Northern  Presbyterian  Mission.  They  have 
translated  the  Gospels,  Acts  and  about  one  half 
of  the  Pauline  Epistles.  When  a translator  has 
finished  a given  book  of  the  Scriptures,  he  pre- 
pares a blankbook  with  vertically  ruled  columns, 
as  many  as  there  are  translators,  and  in  the  right- 
hand  columns  he  writes  his  own  translation.  The 
book  is  then  handed  around,  and  his  colleagues 
write,  in  the  columns  assigned  to  them,  their 
renderings  of  the  text.  It  eventually  returns  to 
the  translator,  who  prepares  his  final  copy  in  the 
light  of  the  suggestions  of  the  others.  The  cost 
of  publishing  is  borne  by  the  American  and  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  societies.  We  are  able 


MISSIONARY  LIFE  AND  WORK  147 

to  use  to  a limited  extent  Christian  literature 
printed  in  Chinese,  sent  us  from  Shanghai,  but 
for  the  use  of  the  common  people  we  are  obliged 
to  print  in  Unmun. 

The  Korean  Religious  Tract  Society  is  another 
of  our  institutions,  which  is  undenominational  in 
character.  This  year  it  published  some  37,000 
books  and  leaflets.  With  the  exception  of  a few 
sheet  tracts,  the  publications  of  the  society  are 
sold  by  the  missionaries,  as  a rule,  at  a nominal 
price.  It  is  believed  that  thereby  the  books  meet 
with  better  treatment.  Many  of  the  missionaries 
in  active  work  have  translated  a book  or  two, 
but  the  most  prolific  translators  are  probably  Mr. 
Gale  and  Dr.  Underwood.  Each  has  prepared  a 
text-book  and  a dictionary,  besides  translating 
parts  of  the  Scriptures.  Mr.  Gale  also  published, 
with  funds  raised  by  Rev.  Dr.  A.  T.  Pierson,  a 
translation  of  Pilgrim’s  Progress;  and  Dr.  Under- 
wood has  translated  numerous  tracts  and  hymns. 
The  Korean  Repository^  published  monthly  in 
English,  is  a magazine  that  deals  with  Korean 
topics,  some  of  a missionary  character,  but  for 
the  most  part  of  a secular  nature.  The  magazine 
has  been  commended  by  journals  both  in  America 
and  in  the  Far  East  for  the  bright,  readable 
nature  of  its  contents,  much  of  the  credit  for 
which  is  due  to  the  able  editing  of  the  Revs.  H. 
G.  Appenzeller  and  George  Heber  Jones,  of  the 
Methodist  Mission.  Two  religious  weekly  news- 
papers printed  in  Unmun,  the  one  the  “Christian 


148  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


News,”  edited  by  Drs.  Underwood  and  C.  C. 
Vinton,  the  other  the  “Christian  Advocate,”  with 
Rev.  Mr.  Appenzeller  for  editor,  came  into  being 
last  winter. 

I shall  now  ask  my  reader  to  draw  upon  his 
imagination  a bit,  and  in  fancy  we  shall  step 
upon  a magic  carpet,  like  the  enchanted  objects 
of  which  you  have  read  in  the  “Arabian  Nights’ 
Entertainments,”  and  together  we  shall  fly  hither 
and  thither  about  the  country  seeing  how  vanous 
kinds  of  evangelistic  work  are  done  by  the  differ- 
ent missionaries.  Let  us  drop  in  upon  Miss 
Mattie  Tate,  of  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Mission 
at  Chun-ju,  in  the  South,  and  observe  her  in  her 
women’s  work.  She  has  a room  where  she 
receives  her  Korean  women  visitors.  As  we  see 
her,  she  has  a group  of  women  about  her,  all 
sitting  on  the  floor.  Many  are  old  acquaint- 
ances ; a few  have  come  for  the  first  time.  The 
elaborate  introductions,  with  the  inquisitive  ques- 
tions about  age,  etc.,  which  they  consider  so 
polite,  are  now  over.  The  conversation  has  been 
turned  to  religious  topics,  and  she  is  teaching 
them  the  truths  of  the  dear  old  Bible.  Now  one 
of  the  strangers  breaks  in  with  a question  as  to 
the  texture  of  her  foreign  dress.  Another  one  fol- 
lows with  a story  of  her  troubles.  It  is  so  hard  for 
her,  a widow  woman,  to  live;  and  cannot  the 
teacher  help  her?  But  other  heads,  bent  in  seri- 
ous thought,  show  that  the  spiritual  words  of  the 
speaker  have  taken  hold  upon  them,  like  the  seed 


MISSIONARY  LIFE  AND  WORK  149 


that  fell  on  good  ground  in  the  parable  of  our 
Savior.  The  lady  worker  engaged  in  evangel- 
istic labor  among  the  women,  a form  of  work  which 
the  men,  by  reason  of  the  customs  of  the  country, 
are  unable  to  do,  also  visits  in  the  home  of  the 
women.  She  conducts  one  or  two  regular  classes 
of  Bible  study  for  their  benefit  during  the  week; 
sits  with  them  on  the  women’s  side  of  the  curtain 
at  church,  and  occasionally  gets  into  her  “chair” 
(a  box-like  contrivance,  composed  of  a frame  and 
curtains,  with  a couple  of  parallel  poles  under- 
neath for  the  benefit  of  the  coolies  that  carry  her), 
and  with  a Korean  Bible  woman  she  goes  out  to 
teach  the  women  in  country  villages. 

We  will  now  drop  down  into  Fusan  to  watch  a 
winter  training-class,  such  as  Rev.  W.  M.  Baird, 
of  our  mission,  used  to  conduct  there  before  his 
transfer  to  the  more  pressing  work  in  the  Pyeng- 
yang  region.  The  teacher  sits  on  the  floor  at  the 
warm  end  of  the  room.  Following  Korean  cus- 
tom, certain  men,  who,  on  account  of  their  birth 
or  knowledge,  consider  themselves  superior  to  the 
others,  have  seated  themselves  next  to  him.  Each 
has  before  him  a Chinese  Testament  or  a Unmun 
Gospel.  Some  have  in  front  of  them  a note-book, 
an  ink-stone,  a small  stick  of  ink,  and  some  little 
brushes  to  take  notes.  They  are  studying  one  of 
the  Gospels.  The  exercise  begins  with  a quiz  on 
yesterday’s  lesson,  and  then  the  lecture  on  the 
new  chapter  follows.  These  “leaders,”  or  if  the 
work  be  less  advanced,  interesting  inquirers  from 


150  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


the  country  villages,  have  been  specially  invited 
to  come  up  to  the  station  for  a month’s  or  six 
weeks’  study,  and  while  the  class  is  in  session  are 
entertained  at  mission  expense.  There  are  two 
or  three  lectures  a day,  studying  the  Bible  as  a 
whole  or  in  parts,  and  the  missionary  gives  his 
whole  strength  to  the  class  while  it  is  in  session. 
All  due  attention  is  paid  to  exegesis,  but  the  main 
emphasis  is  laid  upon  those  scriptural  truths  which 
tend  to  deepen  spiritual  life  and  make  aggressive 
workers.  Much  prayer  also  attends  the  gathering 
of  the  winter  class,  and  we  all  feel  that  this  form 
of  work  is  one  of  the  most  profitable  in  which  we 
can  engage. 

Let  us  next  step  off  at  Gensan,  upon  the  east 
coast  of  the  country.  We  are  in  the  native  town. 
It  is  a busy  time  of  the  day,  and  the  streets  pre- 
sent an  ever-changing  picture  of  animated  life. 
But  before  one  little  building  is  gathered  the  larg- 
est crowd.  It  is  the  street  chapel  of  Rev.  W.  L. 
Swallen,  of  our  Presbyterian  mission.  This  has 
been  his  method  of  work:  At  a certain  fixed  hour 
in  the  day  he  has  ridden  over  on  his  wheel  from 
the  foreign  settlement.  The  windows  and  door 
facing  the  street  have  been  opened  wide.  Just 
inside  the  door  he  and  his  helper,  with  possibly 
another  Christian  or  two,  have  taken  their  stand. 
The  old  familiar  strains  of  “Nearer,  My  God,  to 
Thee,’’  and  “What  Can  Wash  Away  My  Sins?’’" 
joined  to  not  unmelodious  Korean  words,  have 
rung  out  upon  the  street.  In  a very  few  minutes 


MISSIONARY  LIFE  AND  WORK  151 

a crowd  has  gathered,  curious  to  know  the  mean- 
ing of  the  unfamiliar  sounds.  On  being  invited 
in,  they  have  speedily  filled  the  room  and  throng 
outside  about  the  windows  and  door.  A word  of 
quiet  prayer  is  uttered,  and  then  the  helper  begins 
an  explanation.  They  are  the  believers  in  a doc- 
trine that  puts  into  the  heart  a joy  whose  most 
natural  expression  is  song.  Then,  to  explain  the 
doctrine,  he  tells  them  of  God  and  His  attributes, 
and  how  in  His  sight  we  all  are  sinners,  and  how 
Christ  died  to  take  away  our  sin  and  makes  us  at 
one  with  God.  The  majority  of  a street  chapel 
audience  are  the  rawest  kind  of  heathen.  Their 
creed  might  be  summed  up  as  follows : Get  enough 
to  eat;  get  enough  to  wear;  indulge  all  your 
passions ; honor  your  dead  father ; and  keep  the 
devils  from  harming  you.  They  find  it  hard  to 
understand  our  Christian  terminology.  The 
heathen  Korean  knows  the  Supreme  Being  as 
Hananim^  the  “Lord  of  Heaven,”  and  he  thinks 
of  Him  vaguely  as  Providence,  or  God,  as  He  is 
revealed  in  Nature.  But  that  this  Being  takes 
note  of  his  good  or  evil  deeds  seems  never  to  have 
entered  his  head.  The  devils  he  knows  better. 
The  preacher  speaks  of  “sin,”  and  he  thinks  he 
is  speaking  of  a fault,  a mistake  or  a civil  crime. 
That  he  should  repent  of  his  sins  to  God  is  to  him 
an  entirely  new  thought.  He  stumbles  over  the 
atonement  like  a modern  Unitarian.  The 
preacher  speaks  of  “love  to  God,”  and  uses  a term 
containing  a certain  warmth;  but  the  auditor 


152  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


finds  it  hard  to  grasp  the  thought,  because  in 
heathen  usage  the  Koreans  have  no  term  expres- 
sive of  the  love  of  an  inferior  for  his  superior,  but 
only  a word  that  denotes  profound  respect.  So, 
in  chapel-preaching,  the  speaker  can  take  nothing 
for  granted,  but  must  repeatedly  explain  those 
fundamental  truths  which  seem  to  us  as  clear  as 
the  statement  that  two  and  two  make  four.  It  is  a 
form  of  preaching,  too,  that  makes  a man  feel  his 
utter  personal  weakness,  and  throws  him  back 
upon  the  power  of  God.  The  crowd  in  Mr.  Swal- 
len’s  chapel  is  quiet  and  attentive  in  the  main ; 
but  it  is  hard  to  tell  from  the  apathetic  faces  what 
impression  is  really  being  made  upon  their  hearts. 
Now  a drunken  man  creates  a temporary  disturb- 
ance.* Then  a man  in  the  crowd,  by  a flippant 
jeer,  raises  a laugh  which  is  quickly  silenced  by 
the  mentally  alert  helper.  Still  another  man 
asks  a series  of  questions  that  show  his  honest 
desire  to  know  the  truth.  The  helper  Anally 
ceases,  and  Mr.  Swallen  and  the  Christians  in 
turn  succeed  him  in  the  “scattering  broadcast  of 
the  seed  upon  the  waters.  ’ ’ 

Now,  upon  the  flying  rug  again,  and  we  alight  in 
one  of  the  business  streets  of  Seoul.  Rev.  E.  C. 
Pauling,  of  the  Bapti-st  Mission,  is  standing 
quietly  at  one  side  of  the  street.  Under  his  arm 
are  a number  of  tracts  and  leaflets.  He  opens  one 
and  quietly  reads  to  himself.  Instantly  a Korean 
head  straightens  up  and  looks  at  him.  Its  owner 
edges  nearer.  The  foreigner  seems  to  take  no 


MISSIONARY  LIFE  AND  WORK  153 


notice ; yet  to  all  appearance  unconsciously  he  has 
begun  to  read  aloud.  This  is  too  much  for  the 
curiosity  of  the  Koreans  along  the  street,  and  in 
a moment  a crowd  has  gathered  about  him.  This 
is  his  opportunity,  and  he  begins  to  preach  much 
as  our  friends  in  the  street  chapel  did.  His 
helper  presently  relieves  him.  And  then  they 
distribute  a number  of  leaflets,  and  the  helper 
sells  some  books.  This  street-preaching,  too,  is  a 
form  of  the  broadcast  sowing  of  Gospel  seed. 

We  now  alight  upon  a commodious  junk,  going 
down  the  Han  River  from  Seoul,  with  a boatman 
or  two  swaying  from  right  to  left  at  the  great 
sculling-oar.  In  a cozy  little  cabin  at  one  end  of 
the  boat  we  find  Rev.  S.  F.  Moore,  of  our  Pres- 
byterian Mission.  He  zealously  devotes  his  entire 
time  to  one  form  or  another  of  evangelistic  work. 
He  has  done  considerable  work  among  the  butch- 
ers, who  occupy  almost  the  lowest  round  in  the 
Korean  social  ladder,  and  is  now  on  his  way  down 
the  river  to  visit  his  Christians  in  a number  of 
villages  scattered  along  the  shore. 

■ Now,  to  see  another  form  of  teaching,  which  we 
call  “Sarang  work,”  we  will  return  to  the  North 
Chulla  province  in  the  south,  this^  time  to  the 
seaside  village  of  Kunsan.  Rev.  W.  M.  Junkin, 
of  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Mission,  sits  in  his 
sarang,  a thoroughly  Korean  room,  where  he 
sees  his  native  guests.  He  and  several  Korean 
men  sit  on  neatly  woven  mats  of  straw  spread  upon 
the  comfortably  heated  floor.  Mr.  Junkin  holds  in 


154  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


his  hand  an  Oxford  Bible,  and  his  helper  has  open 
before  him  a copy  of  the  Chinese  Scriptures,  ready 
to  render  into  the  vernacular  any  passage  he  may 
indicate.  Although  the  Chinese  Bible  is  a sealed 
book  to  the  common  people,  we  missionaries,  in 
our  preaching  and  teaching,  read  it  constantly  to 
them  through  the  eyes  and  lips  of  our  helpers. 
An  easy,  pleasant  conversation  is  apparently  in 
progress.  One  man,  with  his  hands  clasped  about 
his  slightly  elevated  knees,  in  a mild  excitement 
sits  rocking  to  and  fro  as  he  talks.  The  ani- 
mated discussion  which  we  here  behold  has  for 
its  theme  the  claims  of  the  doctrines  of  the  Chris- 
tian religion  upon  the  belief  of  men.  In  connec- 
tion with  the  sarangs  and  street  chapels,  a number 
of  the  missionaries  have  small  Christian  book- 
stores which  are  conducted  by  their  helpers. 
Some  Christian  quinine-sellers  also  keep  our  books 
in  stock. 

Back  again  to  Seoul  we  fly.  Just  as  we  pass 
through  that  magniflcent  piece  of  masonry,  the 
South  Gate  of  the  city,  we  behold  Dr.  W.  B. 
Scranton,  the  Superintendent  of  the  Northern 
Methodist  Mission,  mounted  on  a bicycle.  Behind 
him,  led  by  a well-browned  boy,  smartly  steps  a 
Korean  pony,  sleigh-bells  jingling  at  his  neck, 
laden  with  a pack-saddle  and  a couple  of  evenly 
balanced  boxes  filled  with  an  assortment  of 
canned  food,  Christian  books  and  clothing.  Laid 
on  top,  between  the  boxes,  is  a bundle  of  bed- 
ding, with  sundry  parcels  belonging  to  the  Ko- 


MISSIONARY  LIFE  AND  WORK  155 


reans  of  the  party.  Not  far  behind,  at  a comfort- 
able pace,  swing  along  his  Korean  helper  and 
cook.  The  doctor  is  just  starting  out  upon  a 
country  itinerating  trip,  to  be  gone  for  a month 
or  six  weeks.  In  going  to  the  country,  some  of 
the  missionaries  travel  in  the  popular  Korean 
way,  on  foot;  some  have  a couple  of  light  boxes 
fastened  to  the  pony’s  pack-saddle,  spread  some 
blankets  above,  climb  to  the  top  and  ride  away, 
their  feet  dangling  on  either  side  the  pony’s  neck, 
while  the  pony  boy  guides  the  craft ; but  perhaps 
the  greater  number  use  wheels.  The  roads,  I may 
say,  are  frequently  narrow  bridle-paths.  Some  of 
us  have  found  it  profitable  for  a doctor  and  min- 
ister to  travel  together.  Dr.  Vinton  and  myself, 
indeed,  have  joined  forces  in  a number  of  itinera- 
ting tours.  The  ladies  sometimes  make  a similar 
combination;  as,  for  instance,  Mrs.  Gifford  with 
Miss  G.  E.  Whiting,  M.D.  We  try  to  look  upon 
our  trips  to  the  country  as  a kind  of  excursion, 
and  so  it  would  be  if  the  pure  air  and  fine  scenery 
had  the  other  things  to  match  them.  But  one 
finds  it  a little  hard  to  carry  out  the  illusion,  for 
instance,  when  sleeping  in  a stuffy  room  with  five 
varieties  of  vermin  engaged  in  your  vivisection, 
three  or  four  of  the  bones  in  your  anatomy  pro- 
testing against  the  hardness  of  the  hot,  stony 
floor,  and  your  mind  conscious  of  the  fact  that  the 
country  is  full  of  robber  bands  that  have  a way 
of  visiting  the  villages  when  they  are  least 
expected.  This  is  mentioned  here  only  to  show 


156  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


that  missionary  labor,  like  every  other  form  of 
work  in  this  world,  has,  in  addition  to  a great 
many  pleasant  features,  a few  things  that  one 
could  wish  were  otherwise.  The  doctor,  while 
on  his  country  circuit,  stops  in  each  village  where 
he  has  work — at  the  house  of  one  of  the  Chris- 
tians, for  two  or  three  days,  not  paying  board, 
but  making  his  host  a “present”  of  money.  The 
days  and  nights  are  busily  filled,  preaching  to  the 
unconverted,  instructing  the  Christians,  examin- 
ing candidates  and  administering  the  sacraments. 
As  in  other  lands,  we  consider  that  in  the  country 
villages  we  have  perhaps  our  most  hopeful  field 
of  effort. 

Let  us  consider  briefly  the  private  life  of  the 
missionary.  Wherever  a group  of  missionaries 
(possibly  belonging  to  different  missions)  live, 
they  unite  for  the  holding  of  religious  services  in 
English.  Thus  in  Seoul  we  have  an  organization 
called  the  Union  Church,  which  has  a Sunday- 
afternoon  preaching  service  conducted  by  the 
various  ministers,  in  turn,  in  the  chapel  of  the 
Pai-chai  college  of  our  Methodist  brethren,  and  a 
Thtfrsday-night  prayer-meeting  held  in  the  differ- 
ent missionary  homes.  Where  there  is  a foreign 
community  of  any  size  we  are  able  to  forget  our 
mission  problems  and  cares  in  an  occasional 
gratification  of  our  social  natures.  But  the  people 
in  the  far  interior,  with  only  one  or  two  foreign 
families  in  the  station,  undoubtedly  feel  the  loneli- 
ness of  their  voluntary  exile  among  alien  peoples. 


MISSIONARY  LIFE  AND  WORK  157 


The  missionaries  in  Korea,  as  a rule,  live  with  the 
same  simplicity  as  ministers  in  the  country  vil- 
lages of  America,  with  the  one  exception  that  the 
customs  of  the  country  require  them  to  keep,  at 
low  wages,  two  or  three  servants,  the  whole  com- 
pany of  whom  they  would  gladly  exchange  for 
one  strong,  competent  Bridget  or  Gretchen. 
Remember,  too,  that  this  frees  the  missionary’s 
wife  to  do  a work  among  the  women  of  her  hus- 
band’s church  which  he  cannot  do,  or  enables 
her  to  help  the  mission  cause  in  some  other  direct 
way.  In  the  matter  of  food,  we  can  buy  certain 
meats  and  some  fruits  and  vegetables  on  the  field, 
but  we  live  for  the  most  part  out  of  tin  cans  and 
barrels,  shipped  perhaps  twice  a year  from 
America.  Our  expensive  fuel,  burned  in  the 
stoves  we  have  imported,  consists  of  pine  wood, 
a sooty  Japanese  coal,  and  bags  of  Korean  hard 
coal,  mostly  dust,  which  latter  we  mix  with  clay 
and  dry  into  coal-balls.  A majority  of  the  mis- 
sionaries tithe  their  salaries  for  the  benefit  of  the 
mission  work,  while  some  give  a much  larger 
proportion,  especially  in  the  days  when  our 
brethren  in  the  home-land  are  derelict  in  their 
financial  duty  to  the  foreign-mission  cause.  In 
spite  of  the  depressing  influence  of  their  constant 
contact  with  heathenism  and  their  endless  care  of 
“babes  in  Christ,”  a number  of  the  missionaries 
show  a marked  growth  in  spirituality. 

A few  words  may  be  in  order  with  reference  to 
our  Korean  inquirers  and  converts.  Perhaps  due 


158  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


to  the  popular  report  that  the  French  fathers,  with 
whom  the  people  continually  confuse  us,  now  and 
then  interest  themselves  in  the  lawsuits  of  their 
converts,  men  seek  to  attach  themselves  to  us  as 
adherents,  in  the  hope  that  by  so  doing  they 
may  secure  the  aid,  in  their  civil  cases  before  the 
magistrates,  of  the  political  influence  which  we, 
as  foreigners,  are  supposed  to  possess.  But,  as 
they  find  that  it  is  our  mission  policy  not  to  take 
up  such  cases,  their  interest  soon  disappears.  Be 
it  noted,  however,  that  occasionally  men  with 
such  ulterior  aims,  or  those  whose  real  motive  is 
the  desire  to  get  employment,  develop  into 
genuine  inquirers  as  the  Holy  Spirit,  through  the 
Word  of  God,  takes  hold  upon  their  hearts. 

You  may  perhaps  be  under  the  impression  that 
it  is  an  easy  thing  for  a Korean  to  become  a 
Christian.  If  so,  let  me  disabuse  your  mind. 
From  the  moment  the  man  decides  for  Christ,  a 
complete  revolution  in  the  tenor  of  his  life  begins. 
One  of  the  great  days  for  the  worship  of  ancestors 
arrives,  and  on  conscientious  grounds  he  refuses 
to  join  in  the  worship.  Immediately  he  finds  him- 
self in  trouble,  and  this  is  especially  true  if  he 
happens  to  belong  to  the  Yangban^  or  aristo- 
cratic class,  whose  claims  to  social  superiority 
depend  so  largely  upon  the  universally  strict 
adherence  to  the  system  of  Confucius,  a corollarj^ 
of  whose  “five  relations”  has  been  the  division  of 
all  the  people  of  the  realm  into  two  classes,  the 
gentlemen  and  the  “low  fellow.”  To  class  pride 


MISSIONARY  LIFE  AND  WORK  159 


is  added  a measure  of  superstitious  fear.  Hence 
our  Christian  finds  himself  opposed  by  the  bitter 
anger  of  the  men  of  his  family,  and  all  his  near 
and  distant  relations,  not  to  mention  the  dislike 
and  ridicule  of  the  rest  of  the  community.  If 
nearly  all  the  members  of  the  village  happen  to 
be  his  relatives,  we  can  imagine  his  hard  lot. 
Where  a number  of  Christians  live  in  the  same 
neighborhood,  of  course  the  conditions  are  not  so 
severe.  One  Yangban  complained  to  me  that  giving 
up  ancestral  worship  made  it  almost  impossible 
for  him  to  marry  off  his  children  in  his  own  social 
class.  The  Christian  decides  to  burn  the  imple- 
ments of  demon-worship.  At  once  he  is  assailed 
by  the  tears  and  the  imprecations  of  the  female 
part  of  his  household.  Suppose,  in  the  days  of 
his  heathen  ignorance,  he  had  contracted  plural 
marriage  relations.  He  now  has  a very  delicate 
and  painful  duty  to  perform,  in  view  of  the 
church  law,  framed  in  America,  which  requires 
him  to  put  away  all  his  wives  and  offspring, 
except  the  first  wife  and  her  children.  Then,  as 
a man  who  refuses  to  follow  the  almost  universal 
customs  of  drinking  and  gambling,  he  is  con- 
sidered “peculiar.”  If  he  is  a merchant,  Chris- 
tian principle  requires  that  he  mend  his  ways  to 
a course  of  strict  honesty  in  his  transactions ; and 
that  the  step  is  a hard  one,  can  be  seen  from  the 
fact  that  the  delusion  is  common  among  Koreans 
that  the  merchant  who  will  not  cheat  and  defraud 
cannot  do  business.  Then,  if  the  Christian  has 


i6o  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


been  following  a sinful  occupation,  or  one  of 
doubtful  morality,  he  must  give  it  up.  The 
observance  of  the  Sabbath  he  also  finds  difficult 
in  a country  where  nearly  every  one  lives  from 
hand  to  mouth,  and  all  the  rest  of  the  community, 
except  the  Christians,  work  or  do  business  on 
Sunday;  and  again,  if  he  lives  in  the  country, 
where  the  fifth  day  market  for  his  region  falls 
every  now  and  then  upon  the  Sabbath.  One  of 
his  minor  difficulties  is  mental  confusion  over  the 
denominational  differences  of  the  various  mis- 
sions, which  differences,  I may  say,  many  of  the 
missionaries  seek  to  minimize  in  their  teaching. 
He  is  troubled,  too,  with  certain  things  in  the 
Scriptures,  in  a way  peculiar  to  the  Eastern  mind. 
For  instance,  in  the  parable  of  the  unjust  steward, 
Luke,  1 6th  chapter,  taking  a very  literal  view  of 
the  shifty  procedure  of  the  man,  which  is  just 
what  a Korean  would  have  done  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, he  is  confused  with  what  to  him  is 
the  moral  paradox  of  the  passage. 

You  may  like  to  know  what  changes  for  the 
better  we  see  in  the  lives  of  the  Korean  Chris- 
tians. In  view  of  the  variations  in  character  of 
the  church  members  in  the  home-land,  it  is  super- 
fluous that  I tell  you  that  we  have  weak  Christians 
and  strong  Christians.  The  two  great  temptations 
for  our  converts  are  to  dishonesty  and  immorality, 
and  occasionally  one  will  fall.  But,  on  the  other 
hand,  I have  known  men  to  move  away  from 
their  native  villages  rather  than  resume  the 


MISSIONARY  LIFE  AND  WORK  i6i 


ancestral  worship.  Women  who  have  passed  from 
the  bondage  of  the  fear  of  demons  to  the  joyous 
freedom  they  experience  in  the  love  of  Christ, 
testify  that  they  “feel  relieved  of  such  a bur- 
den”; and  that  “it  is  almost  as  though  they  were 
living  in  another  world.”  I know  of  homes  that 
are  happier.  The  Korean  brethren  are  quick  to 
notice  the  more  exalted  place  the  wife  occupies 
in  the  missionary  home,  with  the  result  that  their 
own  wives  get  better  treatment. 

Drinking  and  other  bad  habits  are  abandoned. 
Men,  for  the  sake  of  conscience,  change  their 
occupations.  For  example,  I remember  one 
Christian  man,  whom  I met  in  Pyeng-yang,  who 
had  formerly  made  an  excellent  profit  from  the 
painting  of  pictures  to  be  used  in  heathen  wor- 
ship, but  having  given  up  the  business  from  a sense 
of  duty  was  at  that  time  finding  it  difficult  to 
live.  In  Sabbath  observance  there  is  much 
improvement.  One  young  merchant,  doing  busi- 
ness on  borrowed  capital,  had  to  return  the  money 
to  its  owner  because  he  refused  to  keep  open  on 
Sunday.  But  in  his  fidelity  he  was  prospered,  for 
he  soon  secured  from  another  man  the  money  to 
open  across  the  street  a still  larger  shop  than 
the  one  he  had  lost  for  conscience  sake.  In  the 
native  Christians  who  study  their  Bibles — and  is 
it  not  true  at  home  as  well? — one  can  observe  an 
ennobling  of  character  that  is  perceptible  even  in 
the  expression  of  their  faces.  One  occasionally 
sees  revealed  in  them  a simplicity  of  faith  that  is 


i62  every-day  life  IN  KOREA 


touching.  In  one  region  in  the  north  the  Chris- 
tians confidently  declare  that,  when  the  cholera 
was  epidemic,  as  the  result  of  prayer  their  fam- 
ilies and  in  some  cases  their  villages  were  spared 
when  all  about  them  the  people  were  dying. 
According  to  their  means,  they  are  willing  givers 
to  the  Lord.  They  are  warmly  patriotic.  They 
take  on  readily  an  esprit  de  corps  which  makes' 
them  aggressive  workers  for  the  salvation  of  other 
Koreans.  In  the  church  services  they  are  quiet 
and  reverent.  There  is  something  wonderfully 
suggestive  in  the  posture  adopted  by  the  Korean 
Christians  in  prayer.  Sitting  as  they  do  on  the 
floor  of  the  church,  when  the  time  for  prayer 
arrives  they  bow  their  bodies  forward  till  the 
forehead  or  the  hat-brim  touches  the  floor.  This 
is  a form  of  Oriental  prostration.  The  Ori- 
ental prostration  suggests  the  thought  not  only 
of  profound  reverence,  but  of  complete  submis- 
sion to  the  will  of  the  superior.  While  in  that 
position  the  superior  can  work  what  he  will  upon 
the  humble  form  before  him.  My  reader,  is  not 
that  the  mental  attitude  you  and  I ought  to  take 
before  God — completely  surrendered,  that  Jesus 
Christ  may  cleanse  from  the  heart  all  its  selfish- 
ness and  sin,  and  fill  the  place  thus  made  empty 
with  His  own  blessed  presence  and  the  “more 
abundant  life”? 


CHAPTER  XII 


WHAT  THE  GOSPEL  DID  FOR  ONE  MAN 

The  following  is  the  story  told  me  by  Mr.  Mof- 
fett, which  serves  to  illustrate  once  again  the 
power  of  Christ’s  salvation  to  change  the  lives  of 
men,  whether  their  hue  be  yellow  or  white : 

“When  my  helper,  Mr.  Han,  first  visited  Pyeng- 
yang  to  begin  the  preliminary  work  of  opening 
our  station  there,  he  took  a stock  of  books  and 
stopped  at  an  inn  kept  by  a Mr.  Chay,  who, 
besides  being  an  inn-keeper,  was  also  a broker, 
selling  upon  commission  whatever  goods  his 
guests  might  bring.  Mr.  Han  had  known  him 
some  years,  having  formerly  stopped  there  when 
traveling  as  a merchant.  Han  began  preaching 
to  all  in  the  inn  and  selling  the  tracts.  Chay  was 
a tall,  slender  man,  “hail  fellow  well  met’’  with 
everyone,  given  to  loud  talking,  drinking,  gam- 
bling and  a vicious  life  generally,  always  ready  for 
a joke  and  yet  addicted  to  loud  quarreling  with 
any  and  every  one.  As  an  inn-keeper  and  busi- 
ness man  he  was  very  shrewd  and  able,  but  was 
always  wasting  his  earnings  in  wine,  gambling 
and  immorality,  and  he  made  his  home  very 
miserable.  He  liked  Han  and  listened  to  the 
strange  story  he  had  to  tell  and  wondered  greatly 

163 


i64  every-day  life  IN  KOREA 


at  his  selling  such  nice-looking  books  at  such  a 
low  price.  The  truth,  however,  took  not  the 
slightest  hold  upon  him  then,  but  simply  because 
Han  was  his  guest,  he  used  his  influence  to  help 
him  sell  the  books,  telling  everyone  that  they 
were  good  books.  Later,  when  we  visited  Pyeng- 
yang  and  sought  to  purchase  property,  Mr.  Chay 
acted  as  our  agent  and  came  into  more  intimate 
contact  with  us,  as  we  too  made  the  Gospel  our 
daily  subject  of  conversation.  Mr.  Saw,  our 
evangelist,  who  accompanied  us,  made  a great 
impression  upon  Mr.  Chay,  as  he  had  never  seen 
a Korean  who  had  the  gentle  spirit  and  the  truth- 
fulness which  Mr.  Saw  displayed.  Mr.  Chay 
attended  the  services  we  conducted  on  the  Sab- 
bath, not,  as  he  has  since  said,  that  he  cared  at 
all  for  the  truth,  but  simply  because,  as  our  agent, 
he  wished  to  retain  our  goodwill.  Contact  with 
the  truth  and  with  those  who  showed  such  earnest 
zeal  in  proclaiming  this  truth,  in  spite  of  all  the 
ridicule  and  opposition  heaped  upon  them,  caused 
him  to  begin  to  think,  and  then  to  listen,  and  then 
to  read,  and,  much  to  his  surprise,  he  found  him- 
self really  interested  and  concerned.  The  Spirit 
of  God  took  hold  upon  him  and  he  became  a daily 
student  of  the  Word  of  God,  being  one  of  the  most 
constant  attendants  upon  the  Sabbath  services 
and  the  catechumen  class.  He  met  with  the 
most  abusive  ridicule  and  insult,  and  he  had  the 
finger  of  scorn  constantly  pointed  at  him  as  he 
walked  the  street  between  his  inn  and  the  chapel. 


WHAT  THE  GOSPEL  DID  165 

Always  an  outspoken  man,  he  met  all  this  abuse 
most  bravely,  and  frankly  confessed  that  he  was 
‘doing  the  Jesus  doctrine.’  Old  friends  and  com- 
rades in  evil  conspired  to  make  him  again  fall  into 
sin,  visiting  him  and  doing  all  they  could  to  lead 
him  to  gamble  and  drink. 

“His  wife  was  thoroughly  enraged  when  he 
refused  to  sacrifice  to  the  evil  spirits  of  the  house- 
hold, and  she  begged  him  to  ward  off  the  great 
evils  she  feared  because  of  his  failure  to  placate 
those  evil  spirits.  He  had,  through  his  faith  in 
Christ,  become  indeed  a ‘new  creature.’  He 
had  given  up  his  adultery,  drunkenness  and  gam- 
bling, his  fighting  in  the  home  and  on  the  street, 
and  he  had  caused  his  home-coming,  from  day  to 
day,  to  become  a pleasure  to  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren, instead  of  a cause  for  fear.  While  his  wife 
rejoiced  in  all  this,  such  was  her  fear  of  the  evil 
spirits  that  she  was  distressed  and  angry  when  he 
not  only  refused  to  take  part  in  the  sacrifice,  but 
urged  the  throwing  away  of  all  the  baskets  and 
bundles  of  straw  which  represented  the  abodes 
of  these  evil  spirits. 

“He  put  to  her  this  pointed  question : ‘Which 
will  you  have  me  do ; be  a Christian  and  be  as  I 
am,  sober,  loving  and  true  to  you,  or  worship 
evil  spirits,  and  get  drunk,  lead  a vile  life,  gamble 
and  make  my  home-coming  a terror  to  you  and 
the  children?’  Then  she  would  plead  with  him 
not  to  go  back  to  his  old  habits,  but  yet  to  join  in 
the  sacrifices.  The  poor  woman  did  not  know  her 


i66  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


own  mind.  One  day  she  would  bless  Mr.  Han 
and  me,  and  call  us  her  best  friends,  because  of 
the  great  reform  in  her  husband ; the  next  day 
she  would  break  out  into  the  most  bitter  cursing, 
declaring  that  we  had  no  business  to  come  there 
and  prevent  her  husband  from  offering  sacrifice 
to  the  evil  spirits  and  to  his  ancestors.  Mr. 
Chay’s  brothers,  too,  did  not  know  just  what  posi- 
tion to  take ; they  cursed  him  for  leaving  off  the 
ancestral  worship,  but  rejoiced  in  his  reformation. 
For  months  he  was  subject  to  all  kinds  of  temp- 
tations. At  times  he  fell.  But  as  he  grew  in 
knowledge  of  Christ,  his  faith  became  stronger, 
and  it  was  touching  to  hear  him  tell  of  his  going 
into  the  inner  quarters  of  his  house  and  kneeling 
in  prayer  for  strength  to  resist  the  temptations 
which  came  upon  him  so  often  through  the  day. 
A touching  incident  may  here  be  mentioned 
which  will  reveal  also  the  difficulties  with  which 
the  Korean  Christians  have  to  contend  and  like- 
wise the  gradual  process  by  which  they  come  to 
realize  the  sinfulness  of  sin,  while  at  the  same 
time  it  will  show  how  their  habits  are  so  fastened 
upon  them  that  they  do  not  realize  the  possibility 
of  leading  an  entirely  holy  life : 

“One  day  he  came  rushing  into  my  room,  not  far 
from  his  inn,  saying  that  he  had  just  run  away 
from  a crowd  of  his  former  friends  who  were  try- 
ing to  make  him  drink.  First  he  told  them  he 
was  not  well ; but  they  would  not  listen  to  that. 
Then  he  said  it  would  make  him  sick  to  drink,  as 


WHAT  THE  GOSPEL  DID 


167 


his  stomach  was  paining  him;  but  this  they 
regarded  as  no  excuse.  Then  he  said  he  was  now 
a Christian  and  could  not  drink.  But  with  that 
they  seized  him  by  the  hair  and,  ridiculing  him 
and  abusing  him  for  adopting  the  foreign  reli- 
gion, attempted  to  make  him  drink  with  them  as  of 
old.  He  at  last  agreed,  but  said  he  had  an  engage- 
ment just  then  and  would  be  back  in  a few  min- 
utes to  drink  with  them.  Rushing  out,  he  came 
into  my  room,  telling  me  of  the  occurrence  and 
the  way  in  which  he  had  gotten  away  from  them 
and  avoided  drinking.  I rejoiced  with  him  in  his 
determination  not  to  yield,  but  called  his  atten- 
tion to  the  fact  that  he  had  lied  to  them  and  that 
he  must  not  commit  one  sin  in  order  to  avoid 
another.  He  looked  very  queer  and  quickly  ex- 
claimed: ‘Oh!  I have  got  to  lie.’  Then  I 

showed  him  the  sinfulness  of  lying  and,  again,  look- 
ing very  queer  as  the  realization  of  the  sin  came 
over  him,  in  connection  with  his  own  conviction 
that  he  could  never  get  away  from  his  old  evil  hab- 
its without  lying,  he  exclaimed:  ‘Well,  it  is  wrong 
to  lie;  and  I will  quit  after  New  Years.  But  I 
must  lie  until  then.’  Mr.  Chay  was  one  of  the 
first  seven  men  received  into  the  church  in  Pyeng- 
yang  and  has  since  then  become  constantly  more 
interested  and  has  lived  an  increasingly  consist- 
ent life,  contributing  liberally  and  working  most 
zealously  to  make  known  to  others  the  truth  which 
has  done  so  much  for  him.  He  places  Christian 
books  in  his  inn  and  urges  all  guests  to  read  and 


i68  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


buy,  and  wherever  he  goes  in  the  city  or  surround- 
ing country,  he  constantly  invites  friends  and 
acquaintances  to  listen  to  the  Gospel.  His  influ- 
ence in  his  own  family  constantly  grew,  although 
they,  at  the  time  of  the  persecution,  when  he  was 
arrested,  bound  with  the  red  cord  used  for  tying 
criminals  and  threatened  with  death,  as  well  as 
afterward,  when  an  official,  who  was  a friend  of 
the  family,  called  him  privately  and  warned 
him  to  give  up  Christianity  upon  fear  of  death, 
again  greatly  urged  him  to  give  up  his  belief  or 
flee.  When  the  threats  of  persecution  were 
renewed,  he  and  another  of  the  Christians  fled  to 
the  country  and,  after  wandering  around  for  one 
whole  night  in  the  rain,  in  constant  dread  lest  at 
any  point  on  the  road  they  might  meet  an  officer 
seeking  their  arrest,  they  talked  the  matter  over 
and  Mr.  Chay  said:  ‘Here!  If  God  intends  that 
we  shall  die,  we  cannot  escape  by  fleeing.  We 
might  as  well  go  back  and  take  whatever  comes, 
leaving  it  all  to  Him.’  The  next  day  they 
returned,  came  in  to  see  me  and  said  to  the  little 
band  of  Christians,  who  knew  of  their  flight,  that 
they  were  ready  to  give  a reason  for  the  faith 
that  was  in  them  and  to  take  the  consequences. 
The  war  came  on  and  Mr.  Chay  took  all  his  family 
and  that  of  his  brother  to  a mountain  village, 
where  he  made  known  the  truth  very  clearly,  and 
where  his  own  faith  and  peaceful  life  in  the  midst 
of  trouble  and  threatening  gloom  brought  his 
older  brother  and  his  wife  to  a saving  faith 


WHAT  THE  GOSPEL  DID 


169 


in  Christ.  His  wife,  having  lost  all  her  desire  to 
worship  the  evil  spirits  and  continue  the  ances- 
tral sacrifices,  formed  one  of  the  first  groups  of 
women  to  be  received  into  the  church  after  Mrs. 
Lee  joined  the  station.  In  the  mountain  village 
where  they  took  refuge  there  are  now  fifteen  or 
more  Christians  meeting  every  Sunday,  although 
Mr.  Chay  and  his  family  have  long  since  returned 
to  the  city. 

“Mr.  Chay  is  one  of  the  best-known  Christians 
in  Pyeng-yang,  and  his  marked  reformation  has 
done  much  to  commend  the  Gospel  to  the  people 
of  that  vicinity.” 


CHAPTER  XIII 


EDUCATION  IN  THE  CAPITAL 

The  scope  of  this  chapter  will  deal  with  a vari- 
ety of  educational  institutions  that  flourish  within 
the  sweep  of  the  mediaeval  walls  of  Seoul,  which 
fall  like  widely  draped  festoons  from  the  peaks  of 
the  North  and  South  mountains.  Imagine  your- 
self, please,  in  a factory  where  a planing-machine 
and  three  or  four  circular  saws  are  tearing  the  air 
into  shreds  with  their  din.  You  can  then  form 
some  conception  of  the  noise  of  a native  Korean 
schoolroom  when  the  pupils  are  conning  their  les- 
sons. Let  us  take  a look  into  such  a school.  Perhaps 
a dozen  bright-faced  lads  are  sitting  cross-legged 
upon  the  floor,  their  Chinese  books  laid  before 
them.  The  upper  parts  of  their  bodies  are  sway- 
ing violently,  each  with  his  own  time  and  motion, 
some  from  side  to  side,  others  forward  and  back, 
and  all  of  them  vociferating,  in  every  pitch  of 
voice,  the  lesson  assigned  for  the  day.  In  con- 
trast with  all  this  movement  and  din  is  the  quiet 
form  of  the  school-master,  sitting  at  the  end  of 
the  room  where  the  flue-heated  floor  is  the  warm- 
est, on  his  head  a crown-shaped,  horse-hair  hat, 
his  nose  surmounted  by  a pair  of  scholarly  gog- 
gles, with  a book  before  him,  and  in  his  hand  a 

170 


EDUCATION  IN  THE  CAPITAL  171 


rod;  and  now  and  again  his  stentorian  tones 
mingle  with  the  shrill  trebles  as  he  hurls  in  a 
word  or  two  of  correction.  This  is  the  ordinary 
Korean  school. 

From  early  dawn  till  the  sun  goes  down  these 
lads  drone  away,  now  studying  aloud,  now  writing 
the  characters,  now  reciting  to  the  master  the 
contents  of  the  Chinese  classics,  filled  with  the 
lore  of  the  ancient  sages  and  a pseudo-history, 
but  with  scarcely  an  idea  to  lead  them  to  under- 
stand the  world  in  which  they  live  in  the  present 
year  of  Our  Lord. 

Anyone  who  knows  the  Korean  people,  even  in 
the  most  superficial  manner,  must  be  aware  that 
there  is  something  radically  lacking  in  the  time- 
honored  system  of  education  of  the  country. 

I would  by  no  means  condemn  it  as  an  utter 
failure.  Let  no  one  beguile  himself  into  thinking 
that  the  educated  Koreans  are  a dull  class  of  peo- 
ple. The  study  of  the  Chinese  classics  has  much 
the  same  educational  value  for  the  Korean  that  a 
classical  course  in  Latin  and  Greek  has  for  a 
student  in  the  Occident.  The  effort  to  master  the 
difficult  language  is  in  itself  a mental  discipline. 
The  writings  of  Confucius  and  Mencius,  as  a sys- 
tem of  mere  ethics,  together  with  much  that  is 
defective  and  a disproportioned  stress  laid  upon 
the  virtue  of  filial  piety,  contain  also  much  that 
is  undoubtedly  beautiful  and  true.  Then  again,  to 
such  an  extent  have  the  Chinese  words  and 
phrases  imbedded  themselves  in  the  native 


172  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


speech,  that  no  Korean  can  obtain  a mastery  of 
his  own  language  without  a preliminary  study  of 
the  Chinese.  But,  when  all  has  been  said,  the 
popular  education  of  Korea  leaves  very  much  to 
be  desired.  The  best  way  to  judge  of  a system  is 
to  examine  the  finished  product  of  that  system. 
Let  us  consider,  then,  the  average  educated  Ko- 
rean. He  has  a certain  mental  brightness  and 
polish.  His  memory  is  noticeably  well  trained.  He 
seems,  indeed,  to  be  much  like  a mill  fairly  well 
fitted  to  grind,  but  with  no  worthy  content  upon 
which  to  grind.  He  has,  in  a measure,  the  intel- 
lectual power  of  a man,  with  the  actual  knowledge 
of  a child.  And  the  discouraging  feature  of  his 
case  is  that  he  has,  in  many  instances,  become  so 
self-conceited  that  Socrates  himself  could  not  con- 
vince him  of  his  ignorance.  He  is  color-blind  to 
everything  modern.  His  eyes  are  set  on  the  past, 
especially  the  Chinese  past.  He  is  a slave  to  the 
traditions  and  customs  transmitted  from  antiquity. 
His  thinking  has  no  breadth  nor  originality.  But 
the  fault  is  moral  as  well.  Among  people  of  his 
own  station  in  life  he  displays  a ceremonious 
politeness  that  is  certainly  charming  But  do 
not  for  a moment  be  deceived.  There  is  very 
little  heart  in  it.  What  Korean  unreservedly 
trusts  another  Korean?  And  for  the  man  below 
him  in  social  rank  he  has  all  the  contempt  of  a 
Brahmin.  Again,  he  has  a false  pride  which  leads 
him  to  starve  rather  than  do  a stroke  of  honest 
manual  labor.  The  ruling  principle  of  his  life  is 


EDUCATION  IN  THE  CAPITAL  173 


apt  to  be  a selfish  individualism,  which  leaves  in 
his  heart  but  little  room  for  a disinterested  public 
spirit,  or  a true  love  of  his  neighbor.  Two  things 
the  naturally  bright  and  in  many  respects  inter- 
esting people  of  Korea  especially  need,  and  which 
the  present  system  of  education  certainly  fails  to 
give  them,  are  a broader  intellectual  view  and  a 
deepened  moral  sense.  Their  present  system  of 
intellectual  and  moral  training  then,  needs  evi- 
dently much  to  supplement  it.  The  Chino- Jap- 
anese war,  in  a number  of  respects,  deep-soil 
plowed  the  life  and  institutions  of  Korea.  One  of 
the  institutions  which  early  disappeared  was  the 
Koaga^  or  royal  examination,  held  periodically 
through  the  spring  and  fall,  when  the  streets  used 
to  be  filled  with  country  scholars,  all  aspirants  for 
literary  degrees.  These  literary  titles  were,  in  the 
ante-bellum  days,  greatly  prized,  largely  no  doubt 
because  the  rank  thus  obtained  was  believed  to 
furnish  a stepping-stone  toward  the  acquisition  of 
government  office,  the  summiim  boniim  of  the  Ko- 
rean scholar.  But  with  the  passing  of  the  Koaga 
and  a change  in  the  methods  of  government 
appointments,  it  may  be  questioned  whether  much 
of  the  incentive  to  the  acquisition  of  an  education 
of  the  time-honored  variety  has  not  also  passed 
away.  It  may  be  further  queried,  if  this  be  true — 
that  the  interest  in  education  is  waning  through- 
out the  country — What  other  educational  forces  are 
there  at  work,  whose  influence  can  be  counted 
upon  to  stimulate  in  some  measure  this  flagging 


174  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


interest  in  all  education ; and  can  they  be  said  to 
give  promise  of  supplying  the  lacking  elements 
mentioned  above,  a broadened  mental  outlook  or 
a deepened  moral  sense?  The  answer  is  that 
there  are  three  classes  of  schools  whose  influence 
radiates  from  the  capital — government  vernacular 
schools,  government  schools  for  the  study  of  for- 
eign languages,  and  missionary  institutions  of 
learning,  all  of  which  aim  to  impart  nineteenth 
century  knowledge  and,  in  varying  degrees,  seek 
the  moral  culture  of  their  students.  Let  it  be 
understood  that  in  this  chapter  we  are  viewing 
conditions  that  existed  in  the  late  spring  of  1896, 
at  which  time  the  author,  pencil  and  note-book 
in  hand,  made  a tour  of  the  schools  and  collected 
the  data  here  presented.  Referring  now  to  the 
first  class  of  government  schools  mentioned,  the 
writer’s  information  was  largely  derived  from  Mr. 
T.  H.  Yun,  the  then  Acting  Minister  of  Education, 
who  later  became  a member  of  the  embassy  sent 
to  represent  Korea  at  the  coronation  of  the  “Czar 
of  all  the  Russias.  ’ ’ It  may  be  remarked  in  pass- 
ing that  his  experience  and  Christian  education  in 
a foreign  land  seemed  to  have  peculiarly  fitted 
Mr.  Yun  for  usefulness  in  the  position  he  then 
held.  These  schools  came  largely  into  being 
during  the  so-called  “reform  era.’’  The  scheme 
of  education  embraces  a system  of  primary  schools, 
with  a normal  school  for  the  training  of  the  teach- 
ers. The  normal  school,  located  in  Kyo-tong, 
was  organized  in  1895  with  a Japanese  instructor 


EDUCATION  IN  THE  CAPITAL  175 


in  charge.  Two  Korean  teachers  at  the  time  of 
my  visit  were  guiding  their  studies.  * 

The  subjects  taught  consisted  of  history  (Ko- 
rean and  universal),  simple  arithmetic,  geography, 
Chinese  and  Unmun  composition,  and  the  Chi- 
nese classics.  Candidates  for  admission  to  the  nor- 
mal school  must  be  able  to  read  and  write  Chinese 
and  the  age  limits  range  between  eighteen  and 
twenty-five  years.  The  aim  was  to  accommodate 
fifty  pupils,  fed  and  lodged  at  government 
expense.  It  was  expected  that,  after  order  was 
restored  in  the  country,  with  teachers  drawn  from 
this  normal  school,  primary  schools  would  be 
started  in  each  of  the  provincial  capitals  of  the 
country.  Already  there  existed  in  the  city  of 
Seoul  five  flourishing  primary  schools.  With  the 
exception  of  one  which  numbers  about  150,  the 
average  number  of  scholars  enrolled  in  each  of 
the  schools  is  100.  The  monthly  wages  paid  are 
as  follows : for  a normal  school-teacher,  forty  yen ; 
for  a primary  school-teacher,  fourteen  yen. 

Referring  now  to  the  second  variety  of  schools 
for  the  study  respectively  of  Japanese,  French, 
Russian  and  English,  the  Japanese  school,  located 
in  Kyo-tong,  has  been  in  existence  since  1890. 
It  is  in  charge  of  the  genial  Mr.  I.  Nagashima,  a 
graduate  of  Tokyo  University  and  a teacher  of 
five  years’  experience  in  Japan.  Associated  with 

*May  I,  1897,  there  was  a change  in  management 
and  the  Rev.  H.  B.  Hulbert,  who  will  be  mentioned  later, 
became  the  principal  of  the  normal  school. 


176  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


him  is  Mr.  M.  Oya,  a graduate  of  the  Kanagawa 
Normal  School,  and  they  have  one  Korean  assist- 
ant. The  students  are  divided  into  two  classes, 
and  number  forty.  The  average  age  is  nineteen, 
ranging  from  sixteen  to  thirty  years.  The  studies 
embrace  the  learning  of  Japanese,  the  study  of 
Western  branches  through  the  medium  of  the 
Japanese,  and  physical  drill.  The  writer  heard 
one  day  the  advanced  class  read  in  concert,  in 
alternation  with  the  teacher,  and  to  judge  by  the 
sound  the  reading  was  remarkably  fluent  and 
accurate. 

The  French  and  Russian  schools  are  located  in 
the  spacious  school  property  at  Pak  Tong,  south- 
east of  the  palace.  These  schools  are  among  our 
most  recent  acquisitions,  the  Russian  school 
having  been  opened  May  loth  and  the  French 
school  about  the  first  of  January,  1896.  In  charge 
of  the  Russian  school  is  Mr.  N.  Birukoff,  late 
captain  of  light  artillery  in  the  Russian  army; 
and  the  teacher  of  the  French  school  is  Mr.  E. 
Martel.  Both  have  had  experience  in  private 
teaching.  They  have  each  a Korean  assistant. 
The  students  in  attendance  at  the  Russian  school 
are  thirty-six;  in  the  French  school  thirty-four; 
the  average  age  in  the  Russian  school  is  twenty- 
two,  ranging  from  sixteen  to  forty;  in  the  French 
school  seventeen,  ranging  from  fifteen  to  thirty 
years.  The  study  in  these  schools  is  yet  largely 
linguistic,  but  western  branches  will  be  rapidly 
introduced  in  the  respective  languages  taught. 


Toilers  of  the  Fields. 


EDUCATION  IN  THE  CAPITAL  177 


Daily  physical  drill  is  given  the  pupils  of  both 
schools  under  the  superintendence  of  members  of 
the  Russian  legation  guard.  These  schools,  al- 
though so  recently  established,  are  in  a flourishing 
condition,  and  with  a bright  class  of  pupils,  and 
excellent  instructors,  a highly  successful  career 
may  be  anticipated  for  them. 

English  education  in  Seoul  had  its  origin  in  Mr. 
T.  E.  Hallifax’s  School  for  Interpreters,  which, 
from  the  year  1883,  was  held  for  a period  of  three 
years  in  the  Foreign  Office.  The  pupils  numbered 
thirty-five  and  their  ages  ranged  from  fifteen  to 
thirty.  Very  good  work  was  done,  as  is  evi- 
denced by  the  fact  that  fifteen  former  members 
of  the  school  now  hold  positions  in  the  various 
ports.  In  the  spring  of  1885  General  John  Eaton, 
the  well-known  commissioner  of  education,  in 
compliance  with  a request  to  the  U.  S.  govern- 
ment from  his  majesty,  received  instructions  from 
the  government  to  secure  three  suitable  men,  who 
should  repair  to  Korea  to  take  charge  of  a govern- 
ment school  for  the  teaching  of  English.  His 
choice  fell  upon  three  students  in  Union  Theolog- 
ical Seminary,  New  York  City,  two  of  whom  were 
about  to  graduate.  Rev.  G.  W.  Gilmore  of  Prince- 
ton, ’83,  Rev.  D.  A.  Bunker,  Oberlin,  ’83,  and 
Rev.  H.  B.  Hulbert,  Dartmouth,  ’84.  The  gov- 
ernment school  was  organized  September  23, 
1886.  Each  teacher  had  a Korean  interpreter. 
As  soon  as  practicable  Western  studies  were  intro- 
duced, which  were  taught  through  the  medium  of 


178  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


English  text-books.  In  addition  to  the  ordinary- 
elementary  studies,  the  elements  of  international 
law  and  political  economy  were  taught.  The 
pupils  enrolled  were  about  one  hundred.  Two 
examinations  of  the  school  were  held  before  his 
majesty,  at  one  of  which  the  writer  had  the  honor 
of  being  present. 

As  the  result  of  the  work  of  the  school  a num- 
ber of  good  men  were  turned  out,  one  of  whom  is 
the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  another  is  Secre- 
tary of  Legation  at  Tokyo,  and  a third  is  assistant 
Postmaster  in  the  Korean  postoffice  at  Chem- 
ulpo. Capable,  earnest  work  was  done  by  the 
instructors;  but  in  some  respects  the  school  did 
not  prosper  as  it  deserved,  for  his  majesty’s  good 
intentions  were  frustrated,  after  the  fashion  of 
those  ante-bellum  days,  by  the  peculating  officials 
connected  with  the  school,  who  diverted  to  the 
extent  of  their  ability  the  funds  of  the  institution 
to  their  private  use,  so  that,  becoming  dis- 
heartened, first  Mr.  Gilmore,  then  Mr.  Hulbert, 
and  finally  Mr.  Bunker  resigned  and  returned  to 
America,  the  last  two  metioned,  however,  coming 
back  later  as  members  of  the  Methodist  Mission. 
We  come  now  to  another  stage  in  the  history  of 
the  Royal  English  School.  Mr.  W.  du  F.  Hutchi- 
son was  engaged  from  the  fall  of  1893  in  teaching 
English  upon  the  island  of  Kang-wha,  in  con- 
nection with  the  school  for  naval  cadets.  In  the 
late  fall  of  1894  he  was  transferred  to  Seoul  to 
fill  the  vacancy  made  by  the  departure  of  Mr. 


EDUCATION  IN  THE  CAPITAL  179 


Bunker,  in  the  English  school  at  Pak  Dong.  He 
brought  with  him  a score  of  his  former  pupils ; 
four  old  scholars  of  the  Pak  Dong  school  were 
added,  and  the  government  sent  still  others, 
aggregating  sixty-four  students.  The  Royal 
School  continued  at  Pak  Dong  till  the  first  of  1895, 
when  the  school  property  was  turned  temporarily 
into  police  barracks,  and  the  school  was  trans- 
ferred to  its  present  quarters  in  the  telegraph 
office  in  front  of  the  palace,  just  west  of  the 
offices  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture.  Highly 
creditable  work  has  been  done  by  the  school,  as 
was  evidenced  by  the  excellent  written  exami- 
nation papers  prepared  in  June  of  1896.  The  teach- 
ing force  consists  of  Mr.  Hutchison,  Mr.  T.  E. 
Hallifax  and  three  Korean  assistants.  These 
three  assistant  teachers  receive  each  a monthly 
payment  of  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  yen.  The 
number  of  pupils  is  one  hundred  and  three,  with 
a daily  average  of  ninety-two.  It  may  be  remarked 
in  passing  that  an  indication  of  the  discipline  of  the 
school  was  seen  when  the  writer,  on  a very  rainy 
day,  visited  the  school  and  found  the  entire  body  of 
pupils  in  attendance.  Their  average  age  is  nine- 
teen years,  ranging  in  fact  from  sixteen  to  twenty- 
eight  years.  The  branches  taught  consist  of  a study 
of  colloquial  English,  reading  English,  English 
composition,  arithmetic,  grammar,  writing,  trans- 
lation to  and  from  English  and  Chinese,  also  the 
same  with  Unmun  and  English,  and  lessons  in 
general  knowledge  in  the  form  of  practical  talks. 


i8o  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


Physical  training  is  imparted  by  a sergeant  from 
the  English  legation  guard,  in  the  form  of  march- 
ing, calisthenics,  and  a drill  with  staves,  known 
technically  as  the  “Swedish  physical  drill.  “ By 
the  time  my  visit  to  the  Royal  School  was  made, 
Mr.  Yun  had  been  succeeded  as  Minister  of  Edu- 
cation by  a Mr.  Sin,  a deeply  dyed  conservative, 
who  was  destined,  however,  not  to  remain  long  in 
office,  and  a very  decided  clash  between  the 
minister  and  the  school  was  in  progress  over  the 
wearing  by  the  pupils  of  a neat  foreign  uniform, 
consisting  of  a jacket,  trousers  and  a cap  of  white 
duck  cloth  with  red  trimmings.  Suffice  it  to  say 
that  the  scholars  won  the  day.  The  aim  of  the 
school  is  to  turn  out  men  with  a good  general 
knowledge,  in  addition  to  proficiency  in  the  use 
of  English. 

Still  another  class  of  schools  is  deserving  of  our 
attention — institutions  under  missionary  auspices. 
The  first  to  claim  our  attention  is  a school  which, 
strictly  speaking,  does  not  belong  in  this  class,  but 
on  account  of  other  features  connected  with  the 
plan  of  which  it  is  a part,  it  may  properly  be 
mentioned  here.  The  latest  arrival  in  the  edu- 
cational field  of  Korea  is  the  school  established 
April  1 6,  1896,  by  representatives  of  the  “Jap- 
anese Foreign  Educational  Society.”  The  con- 
tributors to  this  society  are  Japanese  Christians  and 
non  church-members,  the  majority  of  which  body, 
however,  are  members  of  evangelical  churches. 
The  location  of  the  school  is  on  the  western  edge 


EDUCATION  IN  THE  CAPITAL  i8i 


of  Chin-go-kai,  immediately  behind  the  site  of 
the  new  Japanese  consulate.  The  teachers  are 
Messrs.  K.  Koshima  and  M.  Zingu,  both  of  whom 
are  graduates  of  the  Doshisha  College  at  Kyoto, 
and  have  been  for  two  years  students  in  the 
theological  seminary  of  the  same  institution.  They 
have  for  their  assistants  two  Koreans  who  speak 
Japanese.  The  students  in  attendance  are  fifty- 
eight,  who  are  divided  into  three  classes.  The 
average  age  is  twenty-three,  ranging  from  ten  to 
thirty-eight  years.  The  curriculum  includes  a 
limited  study  of  the  Chinese  classics,  also  Unmun 
composition,  the  learning  of  Japanese,  and  the 
study  of  Western  learning  through  the  medium  of 
the  Japanese;  and  further,  a weekly  lecture  is 
delivered,  through  an  interpreter,  on  scientific 
and  religious  subjects.  No  direct  religious  teach- 
ing forms  a part  of  the  course  of  study  on  account 
of  the  mixed  nature  of  the  society  founding  the 
school.  But  the  teachers  are  Christians,  with  a 
missionary  purpose;  and  the  plan  and  hope  is 
that,  later,  men  will  be  sent  to  work  with  them 
who  shall  give  their  entire  time  to  religious  work 
and  the  establishment  of  churches.  That  such 
an  enterprise  should  be  undertaken  at  all  is  a strik- 
ing indication  of  the  fact  that  Christianity  has 
become  native  to  the  soil  of  Japan. 

The  representatives  of  the  “Societe  des  Mis- 
sions Etrangeres,  ” of  Paris,  have  in  the  city  of 
Seoul  and  its  immediate  vicinity  three  varieties  of 
schools,  an  orphanage,  two  boys’  schools  and  a 


i82  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


theological  seminary.  The  orphanage  was  organ- 
ized by  the  French  fathers  in  1883  in  Myeng- 
tong,  with  ten  Korean  assistants  In  1888  the 
oversight  of  the  school  was  transferred  to  the 
Sisters  of  the  Community  of  St.  Paul  of  Chartres. 
In  1890  the  orphanage  was  moved  by  the  Sisters 
to  their  present  commodious  quarters,  north  of 
Chin-go-kai,  the  Japanese  settlement.  The 
expenses  of  the  institution  are  chiefly  defrayed 
by  the  Society  of  Ste.  Enfance,  of  Paris.  The 
children  received  are  almost  entirely  orphans 
whose  parents  have  had  no  connection  with  the 
Catholic  Church.  Connected  with  the  school  are 
five  French  sisters,  one  Chinese  sister,  also  Ko- 
rean novices  ten,  postulantes  ten,  and  aspirants 
nine.  In  the  school  are  sixty  boys,  with  ages 
ranging  from  five  to  thirteen  years,  eighty-nine 
girls  of  the  same  ages,  thirty-nine  small  children 
from  two  to  five  years  old  and  fifty-four  infants, 
making  a total  of  242  children.  The  older  girls 
study  Unmun,  learn  the  church  catechism  and 
various  forms  of  prayer,  and  are  instructed  in 
sewing  and  general  housework.  The  larger  boys 
study  Unmun,  read  stories  selected  from  the  Bible, 
and  learn  the  catechism  and  various  forms  of 
prayer.  Formerly  these  boys  were  taught  to 
make  mats,  pouch-strings  and  cigarettes,  but 
three  years  ago  the  plan  was  abandoned  as  unprofit- 
able. The  younger  children  are  taught  verbally 
forms  of  prayer.  When  the  girls  arrive  at  an  age 
of  from  thirteen  to  fifteen  years  they  are  married 


EDUCATION  IN  THE  CAPITAL  183 


to  the  children  of  adherents.  Boys  thirteen  years 
old  are  adopted  by  members  of  the  church  in  the 
city  and  country,  and  learn  farming  or  one  of  the 
trades;  or,  assuming  their  own  support,  become 
servants  or  enter  some  trade.  The  object  of  the 
school  is  to  train  into  good  Catholics  these  unfor- 
tunate children,  bereaved  of  a parent’s  protection. 

Referring  now  to  the  two  boys’  schools  men- 
tioned above,  one  of  them,  opened  in  1883,  is 
located  on  the  northern  edge  of  Chin-go-kai ; the 
other,  opened  in  1893,  is  connected  with  the 
French  fathers’  place  at  Yak-hyon,  outside  the 
south  gate  of  the  city.  Each  consists  of  twenty- 
five  boys,  under  a Korean  teacher.  Their  average 
age  is  ten,  ranging  from  five  to  fifteen  years.  In 
these  schools  the  boys  are  taught  to  read  and  write 
Chinese  and  Unmun,  with  a limited  study  of  the 
Chinese  classics.  In  the  Unmun  they  are  taught 
the  catechism  and  forms  of  prayer.  The  scholars 
are  all  catechumens  or  church  members.  The 
aim  of  the  schools  is  to  provide  a native  and  reli- 
gious primary  education  for  the  children  of  the 
members  of  the  church.  The  theological  semi- 
nary, now  located  three  miles  from  the  city,  on  the 
bluff  by  the  river,  at  Yong-san,  was  organized  in 
1854  or  ’55  in  the  village  of  Chyei-tchou  in  the 
Kang- won  province,  under  the  title  of  “Pai-ron 
Hak-tang.”  In  1866,  the  year  of  the  great  mas- 
sacre of  the  French  fathers  and  their  disciples,  the 
school  was  broken  up.  In  the  dark  years  that 
followed,  the  efforts  put  forth  by  aspirants  to  the 


i84  every-day  life  IN  KOREA 


priesthood  to  secure  a priestly  education  are  inter- 
esting. In  1871  one  such  student,  crossing  over 
from  Korea,  sought  the  theological  school  at  Cha- 
ling  in  Lao-tung,  Manchuria,  where  eight  years 
later  he  died.  Three  other  youths,  who,  for  three 
years,  had  been  studying  with  priests  in  conceal- 
ment in  Korea,  were  in  1880  sent  across  the  border 
to  this  school  in  Cha-ling.  In  1882  they  were 
removed  to  Nagasaki,  Japan,  where  their  num- 
bers were  gradually  increased  by  the  arrival  of 
other  students,  who  came  from  Korea  in  groups 
of  twos  and  threes.  In  1883  this  band  of  students 
was  sent  to  Penang  in  the  Straits  Settlements, 
where  they  remained  until  1891  or  ’92,  when, 
on  account  of  sickness,  they  returned  to  Yong- 
san,  their  number  being  then  twenty-four.  In 
the  meantime  in  Pu-ung-kol,  a small  Catholic  vil- 
lage near  Won-ju,  in  Kang- won- to,  a Latin  school 
had  been  opened  in  1885.  This  was  removed  to 
Yong-san  in  1888,  where  the  large  brick  seminary 
building  was  erected  which  opened  its  doors  in 
1891.  There  are  at  present  in  charge  of  the  theo- 
logical seminary.  Fathers  Rault  and  Bret;  and 
under  them  are  one  Korean  sub-deacon  and  a 
Korean  teacher  of  Chinese.  The  present  number 
of  students  is  twenty-three.  Their  average  age 
is  nineteen,  ranging  from  fourteen  to  thirty-two 
years.  The  studies  of  the  seminary  are  grouped  in 
three  consecutive  courses,  these  courses  being  in 
Latin,  philosophy  and  theology;  but  the  students 
are  divided  into  four  classes.  New  students  are 


EDUCATION  IN  THE  CAPITAL  185 


admitted  to  the  school  every  four  years,  who  enter 
upon  the  studies  of  the  Latin  course.  These  new 
students  are  presently  divided  into  two  divisions, 
the  brighter  students  forming  an  advanced  class 
with  a four-years’  course,  while  the  others  pursue 
a course  of  seven  years  in  the  same  studies. 
Graduates  from  the  Latin  course  take  a course  of 
one  year  in  philosophy.  Then  they  study  theology 
for  three  years  or  until  they  can  pass  the  required 
examinations  that  are  held  semi-annually.  In  the 
Latin  course,  in  addition  to  the  study  of  Latin, 
there  are  taught  arithmetic,  geography,  history, 
natural  philosophy  and  music.  In  the  philosophi- 
cal course  there  is  the  study  of  metaphysics,  logic, 
ethics  and  theodicy.  The  studies  in  the  theological 
course  consist  of  dogmatics,  moral  theology,  study 
of  the  Bible,  and  training  in  the  ritual  of  the 
church.  Throughout  the  entire  seminary  course 
the  Chinese  classics  are  studied  daily.  The  object 
of  the  school  is  to  train  suitable  young  men  to 
enter  the  orders  of  the  priesthood. 

The  girls’  school  of  the  Presbyterian  Mission 
(north)  came  into  being  with  a group  of  little  girls 
Mrs.  Bunker  gathered  about  her  in  1888.  Mrs. 
Gifford,  at  that  time  Miss  M.  E.  Hayden,  arrived 
in  the  late  fall  of  the  same  year,  and  at  once  took 
them  under  her  care.  She  was  succeeded  in  1890 
by  Miss  S.  A.  Doty,  who,  with  the  exception  of 
one  year,  has  remained  the  superintendent  of  the 
school  ever  since.  She  was  joined  in  1892  by 
Misses  E.  Strong  and  V.  C.  Arbuckle,  who,  two 


i86  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


years  later,  left  the  school ; the  former  on  account 
of  ill-health,  and  the  latter  in  order  to  take  up 
the  work  of  nursing  in  the  government  hospital. 
The  location  of  the  girls’  school  was  formerly  in 
the  foreign  settlement,  but  the  fall  of  1895  saw 
them  domiciled  in  their  new  home  at  Yon-mot-kol 
(“Lotos  pond  district’’),  two  miles  away  from  the 
former  site,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  city. 
With  a plant  of  buildings  far  better  suited  to  the 
needs  of  the  institution,  the  outlook  for  the  school 
is  bright.  A girls’  school  in  Korea  is  something 
more  than  a school.  It  is  an  evangelistic  center 
which  attracts  to  it  Korean  women  from  the  region 
round  about.  So,  connected  with  the  school,  is  a 
chapel  where  women  are  daily  met  for  religious 
teaching  and  a dispensary,  visited  periodically  by 
Dr.  Whiting.  Among  the  girls  themselves 
a Christian  Endeavor  Society  exists.  The 
number  of  pupils  consists  of  twenty-eight  board- 
ers and  one  day  scholar.  The  average  age  of  the 
girls  is  twelve,  ranging  from  eight  to  seventeen. 
As  for  the  teaching  force.  Miss  Doty  is  in  charge, 
with  Miss  K.  C.  Wambold,  newly  arrived,  pre- 
paring herself  to  join  in  the  work.  The  assistants 
are  two  Korean  women.  Then  twice  a week  Miss 
Strong  drills  them  in  kindergarten  work.  Also 
twice  a week  Mrs.  Gifford  has  the  older  girls  in 
Old  Testament  historical  studies.  Now  a word  or 
two  on  the  studies  taught.  At  first  the  little  girls 
were  set  to  singing  the  Chinese  characters;  but 
this  was  presently  given  up  and  now  all  the 


EDUCATION  IN  THE  CAPITAL  187 


instruction  is  conveyed  through  the  medium  of 
the  Unmun.  In  addition  to  the  studies  mentioned 
above,  the  girls  are  taught  the  reading  and  writ- 
ing of  Unmun,  arithmetic,  geography  and  study 
of  various  Gospels  and  religious  books  printed  in 
the  Unmun.  Perhaps  the  most  interesting  fea- 
ture is  that  the  little  girls  are  given  a systematic 
and  thorough  training  in  all  the  work  pertaining, 
to  a Korean  household.  The  writer  has  seen 
specimens  of  their  needle-work,  more  especially  in 
the  line  of  Korean  embroidery,  which  were  excel- 
lently done.  The  aims  of  the  school  are  to  first  lead 
them  to  become  Christians — not  only  so,  but  active 
Christians,  well  grounded  in  the  faith,  and  with  a 
good  mental  training,  that  they  may  be  made  self- 
reliant,  ready  to  cope  with  the  situation  in  which 
they  find  themselves  placed,  whatever  it  may  be. 

Passing  now  to  schools  for  youth  connected 
with  the  Presbyterian  Mission,  the  first  to 
be  established  was  the  medical  school  opened  by 
Dr.  Allen  in  the  fall  of  1885,  with  a proper  amount 
of  appliances,  including  a skeleton  that  has  been 
frightening  people  ever  since  its  arrival  in  the 
country.  The  school  was  located  at  the  govern- 
ment hospital.  The  medical  instruction  was 
imparted  through  the  medium  of  the  English; 
and  assisting  in  the  school  were  Doctors  Heron  and 
Underwood.  On  the  departure  of  Dr.  Allen  to 
America,  in  1887,  the  nature  of  the  institution  was 
changed  to  that  of  a school  for  the  teaching  of  Eng- 
lish, and  so  continued  for  the  space  of  two  years. 


i88  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


The  present  “Yasu  Kyo  Hak-tang”  (“Jesus 
Doctrine  School”),  located  in  Chong-tong,  the 
foreign  settlement,  was  instituted  by  Dr.  Under- 
wood in  the  spring  of  1886,  in  the  form  of  an 
orphanage,  modeled  on  the  plan  of  those  well- 
known  institutions  in  England.  The  instruction 
was  in  English,  Chinese  and  Unmun.  In  1890, 
when  Dr.  Underwood  returned  temporarily  to 
America,  the  plan  of  the  institution  was  materially 
changed  under  the  superintendence  of  Mr.  Mof- 
fett. You  may  or  you  may  not  be  aware  that  there 
are  two  excellent  sides  to  the  question  of  the 
advisability  of  teaching  English  in  mission  schools. 
Without  going  into  the  merits  of  the  question, 
suffice  it  to  say  that  from  that  time  all  the  teach- 
ing in  the  school  has  been  through  the  medium  of 
the  Chinese  and  Unmun.  The  nature  of  the 
school  also  was  changed  from  an  orphanage  to  a 
day  and  boarding  school  for  boys.  In  1893  the 
charge  of  the  school  passed  into  the  hands  of  the 
present  superintendent,  Rev.  F.  S.  Miller.  The 
number  of  the  pupils  is  fifty-five,  with  a daily 
average  of  forty.  Eight  are  fed  and  clothed  by 
the  school,  but  partially  support  themselves  by 
manual  labor.  The  average  age  is  thirteen,  rang- 
ing from  nine  to  seventeen  years.  The  regular 
teaching  force  consists  of  Mr.  Miller,  with  one 
Korean  teacher  and  two  assistants.  On  various 
days  in  the  week  supplementary  teaching  is  sup- 
plied by  Mrs.  Miller,  Mr.  Bell  and  Dr.  Vinton. 
Let  us  glance  at  the  course  of  study.  There  are 


EDUCATION  IN  THE  CAPITAL  189 


the  reading  and  writing  of  the  Chinese  and 
Unmun.  There  is  a limited  study  of  the  Chinese 
classics,  followed  by  a study  of  the  Bible  and 
Christian  books  in  the  Chinese.  In  Unmun  a 
number  of  Christian  books  are  studied,  physical 
and  political  geography,  arithmetic,  physiology, 
history  of  the  Christian  Church,  and  training  in 
singing.  Drill  in  marching  is  given  by  a mem- 
ber of  the  U.  S.  legation  guard.  Some  of  the 
lads  who  are  fed  and  clothed  contribute  to  their 
support  by  sawing  lumber;  others  assist  in  the 
government  hospital  and  the  dispensaries;  still 
others  do  janitor  work.  It  is  worthy  of  mention  , 
that  the  lads  at  the  hospital  are  being  given  a 
medical  training  by  Dr.  Avison.  The  aim  of  the 
school  is  to  furnish  a strongly  Christian  general 
education.  Some  of  the  boys  are  very  aggressive 
little  Christian  workers,  selling  Christian  books  to 
men  on  the  streets  and  telling  them  about  Jesus. 

I noticed  one  day  a group  of  men  standing  beside 
the  street  listening  quietly  and  with  evident 
respect.  The  center  of  the  group  was  a school 
boy  with  a roll  of  books  under  his  arm,  telling 
them  in  his  imperfect  way  what  it  was  to  become 
a Christian.  The  plan  is  to  make  the  school  in 
Seoul  supplement  Christian  primary  schools  in 
the  country  and  out-stations,  developing  it  into 
a normal  and  high  school,*  to  which  the  gradu- 

* At  the  annual  meeting  of  1897,  it  was  decided  to  tem- 
porarily close  the  Presbyterian  boys’  school  and  release  Mr. 
Miller  to  do  evangelistic  work  in  the  Whang-hai  province, 
where  the  pressure  is  so  great. 


190  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


ates  of  the  primary  schools  may  be  sent ; it  should 
also  be  mentioned  that  at  the  house  of  Rev.  S. 
F.  Moore,  of  the  Presbyterian  Mission,  is  a pri- 
mary Christian  school  where  some  twenty  boys  are 
under  instruction. 

The  Presbyterian  Mission  has  also  in  mid- winter 
a month’s  or  six  weeks’  training  class  for  reli- 
gious workers,  chiefly  from  the  country. 

Let  us  now  turn  to  the  M.  E.  school  known  by 
the  poetical  name  given  it  by  his  majesty — the 
“Ewa  Hak-tang”  or  “Pear-flower  School.”  This 
school  for  girls  was  organized  in  June,  1886,  by 
Mrs.  M.  F.  Scranton,  and  was  moved  into  its 
commodious  quarters  on  the  hill  in  the  foreign 
settlement  in  November  of  the  same  year.  Mrs. 
Scranton  tells  of  the  prejudice  she  had  to  over- 
come in  those  early  days ; for  people  were  afraid 
to  put  their  children  into  the  school,  because  they 
thought  they  would  never  see  them  again.  When 
Mrs.  Scranton  took  her  furlough,  in  1891,  the 
school  passed  under  the  care  of  Miss  L.  C.  Roth- 
weiler,  who  had  been  with  her  since  1887.  Later 
arrivals  at  the  school  were  Mrs.  G.  H.  Jones  (nee 
Miss  Bengel)  in  1891,  Misses  J.  O.  Paine  and  L. 
E.  Frey,  and  Mrs.  Dr.  Follwell  (formerly  Miss 
M.  W.  Harris),  in  1893.  The  teaching  force  con- 
sists of  Miss  Paine,  who  has  been  in  charge  since 
1893,  and  associated  with  her.  Miss  Frey.  The 
Korean  assistants  are  one  woman  and  three  pupil 
teachers.  Certain  days  in  the  week  also  Mrs. 
Bunker  teaches  them  fine  sewing  and  embroidery. 


EDUCATION  IN  THE  CAPITAL  191 


and  Mrs.  Hulbert  trains  them  in  vocal  music. 
The  pupils  number  forty-seven  boarders  and  three 
day-scholars.  The  average  age  is  twelve  years, 
with  ages  ranging  between  eight  and  seventeen 
years.  English  and  U nmun  are  the  media  through 
which  knowledge  is  imparted.  Elementary  West- 
ern branches  are  taught  in  English ; certain  West- 
ern studies  and  religious  literature  are  studied  in 
Unmun.  English  is  optional  and  is  taught  to  per- 
haps one  third  of  the  girls.  The  domestic  econ- 
omy of  the  school  is  interesting.  In  addition 
to  the  training  in  sewing  and  embroidery, 
native,  and  foreign,  mentioned  above,  the  clothes 
of  all  are  made  and  cared  for  by  the  older 
girls.  Then  the  school  is  divided  into  eight 
groups  according  to  their  rooms,  each  under  a 
leader  and  sub-leader,  who  turn-about , two  weeks 
at  a time,  clean  rooms  and  schoolrooms  and 
assist  in  the  culinary  department.  The  leader  in 
each  case  is  made  responsible  for  all  that  goes  on 
in  the  room.  The  capacity  of  the  school  building 
was  already  too  small.  In  the  fall  it  was  planned 
to  open  a Chinese  department;  and  instrumental 
music  would  be  taught  in  the  future  to  a few. 
The  aim  of  the  school  is  to  give  a thorough  Chris- 
tian education  and  to  make  them  better  Korean 
women. 

Let  us  turn  now  to  another  institution  of  the 
Methodist  Mission,  the  “Pai  Chai  College,”  so 
named  by  his  majesty  in  1887,  the  meaning  of 
the  title  being  ‘‘Hall  for  the  rearing  of  useful 


192  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


men.*’  With  the  exception  of  one  year,  Rev.  Mr. 
Appenzeller  has  been  in  charge  from  the  time  of 
its  institution  in  1886.  There  have  been  on  the 
teaching  force  at  various  times  in  the  past  Revs. 
G.  H.  Jones,  F.  Ohlinger,  and  W.  A.  Noble.  A 
fine  brick  building  was  erected  in  1887,  in  the  for- 
eign settlement,  at  a cost  of  $4,000.  In  March, 
1895,  the  Educational  Department  of  the  Korean 
Government  expressed  the  desire  to  place  a num- 
ber of  pupils  in  the  institution;  and  an  agreement 
was  entered  into  whereby  pupils  up  to  a limit  of 
200  could  be  sent  to  the  school  by  the  govern- 
ment. It  was  stipulated  that  not  only  their 
tuition,  but  also  the  salaries  of  certain  tutors,  in 
the  ratio  of  one  tutor  to  every  fifty  pupils  sent, 
should  be  paid  from  the  national  treasury.  The 
present  teaching  force  consists  of  Mr.  Appenzeller 
as  principal;  in  charge  of  academic  department 
Mr.  Bunker;  and  of  Korean  assistants  three  tutors 
in  English,  and  three  in  Chinese.  Dr.  Philip 
Jaisohn  also  delivers  lectures  to  the  school  once  a 
week.  The  institution  is  divided  as  follows : into 
a Chinese,  an  English,  and  a theological  depart- 
ment. As  to  the  number  of  students,  there  are 
106  in  the  English  and  60  in  the  Chinese  depart- 
ment. In  the  theological  department,  under  the 
charge  of  Mr.  Appenzeller,  there  were  six  students 
in  attendance  at  the  last  session.  The  average 
age  of  the  pupils  in  the  Chinese  department  is 
twelve  years ; in  the  English  department,  eighteen 
years.  The  studies  taught  in  the  English  depart- 


EDUCATION  IN  THE  CAPITAL  193 

ment  are  reading,  grammar,  composition,  spelling, 
history,  arithmetic,  and  the  elements  of  chemis- 
try and  natural  philosophy.  In  the  Chinese  depart- 
ment there  are  taught  the  Chinese  classics  ad 
infinitum^  Sheffield’s  Universal  History,  also  in  the 
Unmun  certain  religious  works.  The  attendance 
at  chapel  is  compulsory.  An  Epworth  League 
exists  in  the  school.  The  pupils  are  drilled 
by  a member  of  the  American  legation  guard  and 
have  come  out  in  a neat  school  uniform  of  white 
duck  cloth,  trimmed  with  red  and  blue  stripes. 
The  aim  to  establish  an  industrial  department  has 
been  kept  in  mind  from  the  outset.  Some  time 
since  the  attempt  was  made  to  open  a depart- 
ment for  the  manufacture  of  brush  pens  and  straw 
sandals.  The  superintendent  once  explained  to 
the  writer  the  result  of  the  experiment.  He  said 
that  he  had  remarked  that  men  who  bought  the 
pens  his  scholars  made  never  came  back  for  any 
more.  With  Oriental  politeness  they  explained  to 
him  that  the  pens  were  excellent,  only  they  would 
not  write.  He  thought  it  must  have  been  some- 
thing the  same  way  with  the  shoes.  At  all  events 
it  was  not  long  before  his  shoe  and  pen  factory 
went  into  bankruptcy.  However,  later  efforts 
were  more  successful.  It  is  said  that  the  idea  of 
founding  the  “Tri-lingual  Press”  by  the  M.  E.  Mis- 
sion, originated  largely  from  the  desire  to  devise 
employment  for  students  who  were  being  gratui- 
tously fed.  Impecunious  students  now  earn  their 
living  in  a variety  of  ways.  Students  are  em- 


194  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


ployed  as  personal  teachers,  to  do  scribal  work  and 
to  care  for  the  rooms.  The  “Korean  Repository” 
is  printed,  with  one  exception,  entirely  by  boys 
from  the  school.  Foreign  binding  has  been  done 
by  students;  and  as  for  Korean  binding,  in  the 
bindery  in  the  basement  of  the  school,  established 
the  previous  fall,  twenty  boys  find  employment. 
As  evidence  of  their  efficiency  it  may  be 
stated  that  from  December  to  June,  1896,  over 
50,000  volumes  have  been  bound  by  them.  The 
aim  of  the  institution  is  education  per  se — a 
liberal  education. 

Two  Christian  primary  schools  for  boys  are 
also  conducted  by  the  M.  E.  Mission,  one  at  San- 
tong  and  one  immediately  inside  the  East  Gate. 

A writer  in  the  “Korean  Repository”  has 
expressed  the  opinion  that  of  all  the  things  Korea 
greatly  needs  at  the  present  moment,  a true  edu- 
cation of  heart  and  mind  is  what  she  needs  the 
most ; and  in  the  foregoing  pages  some  idea  may 
have  been  formed  of  the  forces  which,  combined, 
have  been  seeking  to  supply  that  need. 


CHAPTER  XIV 


BUILDING  OF  THE  WEST  GATE  CHURCH 

It  is  a widely-recognized  principle  among  the 
missionary  workers  in  foreign  lands,  and  among 
all  the  mission  board  secretaries,  that  the  ideal 
toward  which,  so  far  and  so  fast  as  it  is  practica- 
ble they  shall  aim  to  conduct  their  work,  is  a 
condition  of  affairs  in  which  the  native  church 
becomes  rooted  in  the  soil  of  the  local  country. 
One  phase  which  has  in  recent  years  received 
much  attention  has  been  the  effort  to  make  the 
native  churches  self-supporting  in  their  finances. 
Two  things  have  rendered  this  difficult.  One  is 
the  fact  that  in  some  countries  the  work  has  been 
started  with  the  other  policy,  the  churches  being 
built  and  the  salaries  of  the  native  ministers 
being  paid, ‘wholly  or  in  large  part,  with  foreign 
funds ; and,  having  begun  on  this  plan,  the  effort 
to  shift  the  financial  burden  to  native  shoulders 
has  been  resisted  by  the  native  congregations. 
But  a still  more  serious  difficulty  has  been  the 
great  comparative  and  actual  poverty  of  the 
church  members,  few  of  whom  come  from  the 
classes  that  possess  means. 

In  Korea,  the  youngest  of  mission  countries, 
we  are  making  an  honest  attempt  in  the  direc- 

*95 


196  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


tion  of  self-support.  The  ministers’  pay  has  not 
become  a practical  question,  because  as  yet  we 
have  ordained  none.  In  the  matter  of  church 
building,  however,  we  are  able  to  make  a report 
of  progress.  Allow  me  to  speak  of  certain  church- 
building operations  that  came  under  my  own 
observation ; and  to  properly  tell  the  story  I shall 
need  to  mention  briefly  some  of  the  earlier  history 
of  the  church.  The  first  Presbyterian  Church  in 
Seoul  was  organized  by  Rev.  Dr.  Underwood, 
and  from  the  time  of  his  temporary  return  to 
America,  on  account  of  the  health  of  Mrs.  Under- 
wood, the  superintendence  of  the  church  work 
fell  to  various  others  of  us  clerical  men  in  con- 
junction with  Mr.  Saw,  the  evangelist.  The 
meetings  of  the  church  were  held  in  an  “L” 
shaped  building  upon  Dr.  Underwood’s  com- 
pound in  the  foreign  settlement.  In  those  early 
days  the  regular  church  attendance  was  not  large, 
and  probably  a majority  of  those  present  were 
those  attached  to  us  in  some  manner — as  teach- 
ers, servants,  or  school  children.  The  first  efforts 
to  raise  money  among  the  church  attendants  came 
from  themselves,  when,  following  the  Korean  cus- 
tom, they  organized  among  themselves  an  associa- 
tion for  the  loaning  of  money,  with  the  view  to 
mutual  help  at  the  times  of  weddings  or  funer- 
als, which  are  so  costly  for  Koreans.  As  we 
thought  such  an  organization  was  best  conducted 
as  a private  enterprise,  we  took  no  ecclesiastical 
notice  of  it.  Later  we  organized  a church  collec- 


BUILDING  OF  THE  CHURCH 


197 


tions  committee,  composed  of  two  Koreans  and 
one  foreigner.  As  they  slipped  off  their  shoes 
outside  and  rattled  the  Korean  cash,  bulky  in 
amount  and  small  in  value,  into  the  soap  box  by 
the  door,  they  slightly  disturbed  the  meeting,  but 
in  the  interest  of  education  in  church-giving  we 
were  quite  willing  to  be  disturbed.  As  the  years 
passed  by  our  church  attendance  grew,  and  in 
1895  Mrs.  Gifford,  who  was  at  that  time  in  charge 
of  the  work  among  the  women  of  the  church, 
complained  that  the  space  on  the  women’s  side  of 
the  curtain  would  no  longer  hold  the  female  con- 
gregation, and  she  urged  that  a new  church  be 
built.  The  members  of  the  Northern  and  South- 
ern Presbyterian  missions  took  up  the  plan,  and 
a committee  consisting  of  Dr.  Underwood  and 
Mrs.  Gifford  was  appointed  to  secure  pledges  and 
build  the  church  with  foreign  funds,  as  it  hardly 
seemed  possible  that  much  financial  help  could  be 
expected  from  our  Korean  brethren.  Ground  had 
been  bought  not  far  from  the  foreign  settlement, 
on  a wide  street  just  inside  the  West  Gate  of  the 
city,  and  the  buildings  on  it  had  been  removed, 
when  news  came  to  us  that  the  Korean  Chris- 
tians at  Chang-yen,  a country  district  perhaps  one 
hundred  miles  northwest  of  Seoul,  had  built  a 
church  that  had  cost  them  forty  yen  and  fully 
that  amount  of  labor,  under  the  inspiration  of  the 
lamented  Rev.  W.  J.  McKenzie,  a strong  believer 
in  native  self-support,  then  living  in  their  midst. 
Courage  was  therefore  given  us  to  try  what  a 


198  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


couple  of  the  Southern  brethren  had  previously 
advocated — to  put  the  burden  of  the  erection  of 
the  church  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  Korean 
Christians.  I happened  at  that  time  to  be  the 
pastor  of  the  Chong  Dong  church,  and  I con- 
ducted a mid-week  prayer-meeting  for  men  every 
Wednesday  noon.  On  one  particular  Wednesday 
it  was  arranged  that  at  the  close  of  the  meeting  a 
business  meeting  of  the  church  should  be  held. 
Dr.  Underwood  was  called  down  to  the  sarang, 
and  I,  partly  as  pastor  and  partly  representing 
Mrs.  Gifford,  joined  with  him  in  conducting  the 
meeting.  I can  see  the  picture  now.  The  slid- 
ing doors  which  divided  the  sarang  into  sections 
had  been  taken  out.  We  sat  at  one  end.  The 
Korean  men  formed  a long  double  line,  as  they 
sat  cross-legged  along  the  sides  of  the  room. 
What  interesting  work  they  made  in  following  our 
parliamentary  rules  in  the  conduct  of  the  meet- 
ing! The  plan  that  they  should  undertake  the 
erection  of  the  church  building  seemed  to  impress 
them  favorably.  They  cheerfully  elected,  with 
the  few  parliamentary  stumbles  above  mentioned, 
a Korean  committee,  consisting  of  Deacons  Hong 
and  Ye,  who  were  to  act  jointly  with  the  commit- 
tee of  foreigners.  Dr.  Underwood  and  I,  think- 
ing that  we  had  accomplished  all  that  could  be 
done  for  some  time,  were  about  to  close  the  meet- 
ing, when  Deacon  Ye  deliberately  made  the 
remark  that  the  building  operations  had  better 
begin  right  away.  My  own  mind  at  once  reverted 


BUILDING  OF  THE  CHURCH 


199 


to  the  great  Catholic  cathedral,  over  in  the  city, 
since  completed,  whose  unfinished  brick  walls  had 
stretched  towards  the  sky  ever  since  my  arrival  in 
the  country,  and  I pictured  a similar  fate  for  the 
building  whose  construction  it  was  proposed  to 
begin  with  only  a few  cash  in  the  treasury.  Dr. 
Underwood  and  one  Korean  voiced  our  sentiment 
when  they  urged  that  the  money  first  be  raised. 
But  no,  Mr.  Ye  thought  they  had  better  begin  at 
once,  and  what  was  more  remarkable,  the  rest  of 
the  men  in  the  room  quite  agreed  with  him.  And 
so  it  was  voted. 

Dr.  Underwood  was  called  to  the  country  about 
that  time;  so  the  burden  of  seeking  to  carry 
through  the  plan  came  upon  the  Korean  commit- 
tee and  myself.  Deacon  Hong,  also  my  helper, 
being  gifted  with  mechanical  ability,  was  put  in 
charge  of  the  construction;  while  Deacon  Ye  and 
I undertook  to  raise  subscriptions.  We  canvassed 
every  member  of  the  church,  then  the  members 
of  the  two  or  three  little  churches  that  had 
recently  swarmed  into  other  parts  of  the  city, 
then  a couple  of  Christian  officials  whom  we  knew. 
The  same  was  done  among  the  women  of  the 
church.  But  to  carry  the  plan  through  it  was 
absolutely  necessary  that  the  Korean  men  in  the 
church  should  contribute  work.  But  this  was 
hard  for  many  of  them,  as  they  considered  them- 
selves to  belong  to  the  gentleman  class,  and 
thought  they  would  lower  themselves  should  they 
labor  with  their  hands.  So,  by  way  of  example. 


200  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


I put  on  my  old  clothes  and  worked  three  after- 
noons at  various  forms  of  coolie  work.  One  day 
it  was  shoveling  dirt  in  grading  the  church  site. 
A Korean  shovel,  you  know,  consists  of  an  iron- 
shod  wooden  spade,  with  a handle  six  feet  long. 
Into  its  wooden  sides  are  bored  holes,  and  two 
long  straw  ropes  are  inserted.  Then  three  or 
more  men  take  hold  of  the  two  ropes  and  the 
shovel  handle,  and  while  the  man  at  the  handle 
guides  the  operations,  they  vigorously  heave  the 
dirt.  Another  day  the  work  was  the  braiding  of 
straw  ropes.  The  third  day  we  pounded  broken 
tiles  and  stones  into  the  holes  into  which  the 
foundation  stones  to  support  the  wooden  pillars 
were  to  be  inserted.  This  was  done  with  a 
boulder  to  which  were  attached  a dozen  straw 
ropes.  Men  and  boys  took  hold  of  the  ropes  and 
straightened  out  as  in  tossing  with  a blanket ; at  a 
signal  they  relaxed,  and  the  stone  fell  like  a trip- 
hammer. Koreans  turn  this  work  into  a frolic, 
by  heaving  the  stone  in  time  to  the  chanting  of  a 
chorus  that  is  sung  responsively  to  the  solo  sing- 
ing, usually  improvised,  of  one  of 'their  number. 
The  men  of  the  church  took  hold  of  the  work  in  a 
very  gratifying  manner,  as  did  the  small  boys  in 
the  school,  who,  after  school  hours,  helped  in  all 
ways  possible  to  them — for  instance,  scouring  the 
streets  of  the  city  for  broken  tiles  and  stones. 
When  skilled  labor  was  required,  Mr.  Hong  called 
in  a carpenter  and  the  men  worked  under  his 
instructions.  I believe  it  became  necessary  to 


BUILDING  OF  THE  CHURCH 


201 


pass  around  the  subscription  paper  a second 
time. 

A very  curious  thing  occurred.  One  morning 
early  a visitor  called  upon  me.  He  proved  to  be 
a tall,  elderly  man,  who  occasionally  attended 
our  meetings.  His  errand  was  to  tell  me  that  a 
friend  of  his,  living  in  the  country,  had  heard 
from  him  about  the  building  of  the  church,  and 
wished  to  make  a contribution.  An  hour  later 
Mr.  Hong  came  in.  He  told  me  that  timbers  for 
the  frame  work  of  the  church  were  coming  that 
day,  and  that  they  needed  just  twenty  yen  to 
complete  payment  for  them.  I then  told  him  of 
the  man  who  was  coming  at  lo  o’clock  that  morn- 
ing to  contribute  just  exactly  that  amount, 
twenty  yen,  to  the  work.  Promptly  at  the  hour 
named  Mr.  Shin,  a perfect  stranger  to  us  all,  put 
in  his  appearance.  Two  or  three  of  the  Korean 
brethren  and  myself  met  him  in  a room  adjoining 
the  church  site.  Twenty  silver  yen  were  taken 
from  a roll  and  deposited  in  our  midst  on  the 
floor.  He  had  brought  along  also  a couple  of 
packages  of  tobacco  as  a present  to  the  commit- 
tee in  charge  of  the  work;  but  they  decided,  I 
believe,  to  sell  it  and  turn  the  proceeds  into  the 
building  fund.  We  talked  with  him  a long  time, 
instructing  him  in  the  way  of  salvation,  and  before 
we  parted  he  knelt  and  prayed  for  the  forgiveness 
of  his  sins.  I gave  him  some  Christian  books, 
and  he  went  to  his  home  in  the  country.  I have 
since  seen  him  once  or  twice,  and  I could  never 


202  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


discover  that  there  had  been  any  ulterior  motive 
in  what  he  did.  I could  never  explain  this  singu- 
lar event  in  any  other  way  than  that  God  had,  in 
answer  to  prayer,  put  it  into  this  stranger’s  heart 
to  bring  us  just  the  amount  that  was  needed.  In 
this  connection  let  me  remark  that  many  of  us 
missionaries  have  learned  to  count  upon  prayer  as 
just  as  practical  a factor  in  our  work  as  the  prep- 
aration of  our  financial  estimates. 

Mrs.  Gifford  and  I,  being  transferred  to  the 
eastern  side  of  the  city  to  look  after  religious 
work  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  girls’  school.  Dr. 
Underwood  resumed  the  pastorate  of  the  Chong 
Dong  church ; and  the  latter  half  of  the  church 
building  operations  was  done  under  his  superin- 
tendence, in  co-operation  with  the  Korean  com- 
mittee. With  the  coming  of  the  rainy  season 
appeared  the  scourge  of  Asiatic  cholera;  and 
building  operations  being  suspended  on  account  of 
the  rains.  Dr.  Underwood  took  the  entire  force  of 
Christian  men  over  to  help  him,  Mrs.  Underwood 
and  Dr.  Wells  in  their  improvised  cholera  hos- 
pital, at  the  “Shelter,”  outside  the  city.  It  was  a 
time  when  a majority  of  the  missionaries  in  Seoul 
devoted  themselves  to  the  care  of  the  sick  and 
the  dying.  As  the  result  of  their  untiring  exertions 
and  the  skillful  use  of  salol,  the  Doctors  Under- 
wood and  Wells  saved  66  percent,  of  the  patients 
in  their  hospital.  The  Korean  Christians,  at  the 
end  of  their  noble  and  perilous  service,  were 
generously  remembered  by  the  government;  and 


BUILDING  OF  THE  CHURCH 


203 


a large  part  of  what  was  given  them  they  turned 
into  the  church-building  fund.  But  still  there 
was  not  enough  money.  Then  those  church 
members  who  were  employed  by  missionaries  as 
teachers,  in  addition  to  all  they  had  previously 
given  secured  from  their  employers  an  advance 
of  one  month’s  wages,  which  they  were  to  repay 
in  installments,  and  this  they  turned  into  the 
treasury.  I know  of  some  of  the  extra  efforts 
and  the  sacrifices  that  Korean  Christians  made  in 
order  to  raise  this  building  fund.  Women  did 
sewing  in  order  to  raise  money.  One  Christian, 
outside  of  working  hours,  painted  a sign-board  for 
a chapel,  and  pawned  his  spectacles.  One  woman, 
working  as  a servant  in  a foreign  family  at  the 
rate  of  four  yen,  or  two  of  our  dollars,  a month, 
for  several  months  contributed  fully  a fifth  of 
her  wages.  Her  employer  expostulated  with  her 
for  giving  so  much;  but  the  woman  said  that 
it  was  a pleasure  for  her  to  give  all  that  she  could 
for  the  work.  The  church,  when  built,  was  a 
rectangular,  tiled-roof  building,  in  thorough 
Korean  style,  with  a row  of  pillars  and  a partition 
running  up  through  the  middle  of  the  church  as 
far  as  the  pulpit  platform,  to  separate  the  men 
and  the  women.  It  holds  between  two  and  three 
hundred  people.  Here  are  held  the  preaching 
services.  Sabbath  School  and  mid-week  prayer 
meeting.  The  contributions  of  the  Korean  Chris- 
tians amounted  to  fully  five  hundred  yen,  and, 
since  the  yen  is  worth  about  fifty  cents  of  our 


204  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


money,  equal  approximately  to  $250.  Probably 
an  equal  value  in  labor  was  freely  given.  This 
is  better  understood  when  you  remember  that  $4 
of  our  money  per  month  is  a high  average  for 
the  wages  earned  by  the  men  of  the  church. 
The  total  contributions  of  this  church  for  the 
year  1897  have  amounted  to  $203.55  And 

that  they  are  as  earnest  on  the  spiritual  side  of 
the  work  as  they  are  in  looking  after  its  material 
interests  is  seen  in  the  fact  that  they  have  them- 
selves been  teaching  eighteen  catechumen  classes 
in  the  city  and  suburbs,  and  have  been  conduct- 
ing regular,  active  work  in  eight  or  more  vil- 
lages within  a radius  of  thirty  miles  from 
Seoul.  This  surely  is  a good  record  for  one 
church. 

Other  circles  of  believers  have  done  well  also. 
The  Chang-yen  church,  referred  to  above,  have 
since  doubled  the  size  of  their  church  building. 
In  the  regions  about  Pyeng-yang  twenty-three 
small  churches  have  been  built  or  adapted  from 
existing  buildings;  also  in  the  southern  part  of 
the  Whang  Hai  province  and  in  the  vicinity  of 
Seoul  eleven  more  have  been  prepared,  all 
with  money  and  work  contributed  by  the  Kor- 
eans. Perhaps  a dozen  Christian  primary  schools 
are  supported  in  part  from  native  funds ; and  the 
Koreans  are  paying  the  salaries  of  certain  of  their 
number,  who  go  about  the  country  adjacent  to 
Pyeng-yang  and  Seoul  as  colporteurs.  The  rec- 
ord of  the  Methodist  brethren  is  also  good;  for 


BUILDING  OF  THE  CHURCH  205 

their  Korean  Christians  in  Seoul  also  raised  seven 
hundred  yen,  which  they  combined  with  foreign 
funds  in  the  erection  of  a large  brick  church, 
with  a foreign  exterior,  located  in  the  middle  of 
the  foreign  settlement.  But  what  has  touched 
me  most,  revealing  as  it  does  in  the  Korean 
believers  the  depth  of  that  Christ-like  compassion 
for  need  and  suffering  outside  of  its  own  circle, 
and  that  looks  for  no  advantage  in  return — the 
same  motive  which  impels  you,  the  givers  to  for- 
eign missions,  to  send  the  beneficent  Gospel  to 
them,  and  a motive  for  which  you  will  look  in 
vain  in  a purely  heathen  community — was  their 
conduct  at  the  time  of  the  late  famine  in  India. 
The  “Repository”  and  “Independent”  make  men- 
tion of  it.  The  “Christian  News,”  published  in 
Seoul,  at  the  close  of  a graphic  account  of  the  ter- 
rible famine,  intimated  the  willingness  of  the  editor 
to  forward  any  contributions  sent  to  him.  The 
response  from  the  Korean  Christians  was  hearty 
and  immediate.  The  Presbyterian  churches  of 
Seoul  raiiied  some  sixty  odd  )*en.  The  Metho- 
dists and  Presbyterians  of  P}^eng-yang  sent  fully 
as  much  more.  The  Christians  of  Chang-yen 
also  took  up  a collection,  to  which  the  “Reposi- 
tory” for  May  alluded  as  follows:  “Some  of  the 

women,  not  having  ready  cash  with  them,  took 
the  rings  off  their  fingers,  as  no  less  than  eight 
solid  silver  rings  were  among  the  contributions 
sent  to  Seoul.  These  rings  were  sold  and  netted 
twenty-seven  yen  and  fifty  sen — making  a total 


2o6  every-day  life  IN  KOREA 


of  over  eighty-four  yen  contributed  by  this  con- 
gregation to  the  starving  ones  in  India.  ’ ’ 

In  the  face  of  facts  like  the  foregoing,  I sup- 
pose the  critics  of  missions  will  continue  to  shake 
their  heads  and  moan,  “Foreign  missions  are  a 
failure.  The  native  converts  are  all  ‘rice  Chris- 
tians.’ ” 


CHAPTER  XV 


A REMARKABLE  FORWARD  MOVEMENT 

The  name  of  the  city  of  Pyeng-yang,  under 
half  a dozen  forms  of  spelling,  is  now  world- 
famous  as  the  scene  of  one  of  the  most  decisive 
battles  in  the  recent  Chino- Japanese  war.  It  is 
by  far  the  most  important  city  in  the  north  of 
Korea,  located  perhaps  i8o  miles  to  the  north  of 
Seoul,  upon  the  Tatong  River,  and  said  to  have 
had  in  the  days  before  the  war  a population  of 
100,000  people.  Its  history  carries  us  back  to  the 
times  of  Samuel  the  judge,  when  the  Chinese 
statesman  Kejamade  the  site  of  the  city  of  Pyeng- 
yanghis  home,  and  became  the  founder  of  Korean 
civilization.  One  gets  a curious  composite 
impression  of  ancient  and  modern  history  in  vis- 
iting the  grave  of  Keja,  situated  just  north  of  the 
city.  Upon  the  top  of  a knoll  the  semi-globular 
grave,  with  a low,  tiled  stone  wall  half  surround- 
ing it,  and  stone  images  and  a sacrificial  slab 
in  front  of  the  mound,  remind  one  of  a far 
antiquity;  while  the  wooden  shrine  below  the 
knoll,  with  its  walls  scarred  and  perforated  in 
every  direction  by  the  bullets  of  the  battle  which 
raged  over  the  site,  is  very  much  in  evidence  of  the 
recent  past.  During  the  making  of  the  nation 

207 


2o8  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


the  capital  of  the  country  had  a wandering  life, 
the  most  ancient  of  whose  sites,  however,  was  the 
city  of  Pyeng-yang.  In  later  days  and  until  the 
present,  the  city  has  been  the  provincial  capital 
of  Pyeng  An  Do,  the  most  northwestern  of  the 
eight  provinces  into  which  the  country,  until 
recently,  has  been  divided.  Again,  the  city  is  by 
far  the  most  important  commercial  center  in  the 
north  of  Korea.  The  people  are  handsome, 
spirited,  energetic,  with  much  force  and  strength 
of  character,  which  makes  them  a power  either 
for  good  or  evil.  Indeed,  in  the  past,  Pyeng-yang 
had  the  reputation  for  being  the  wickedest  city  in 
the  country;  one  evidence  of  which  was  the  fact 
that  the  city  was  famed  the  whole  country  over 
for  the  number  of  its  fair  but  frail  dancing-girls, 
whose  numbers,  it  is  said,  have  not  infrequently 
been  recruited  from  the  more  important  and 
influential  families  of  the  city.  How  cruelly  the 
poor  city  has  been  punished,  however,  is  evi- 
denced by  the  great  swaths  of  vacant-house 
sites  here  and  there  visible  within  the  ancient 
walls,  where  the  homes  of  the  people  were  razed 
to  the  ground  by  the  war.  Yangbans,  or  the 
aristocratic-leisure  class,  are  rare  in  the  city  and 
region.  Roman  Catholicism  has  made  nothing- 
like  the  impression  in  this  region  that  it  has  in  the 
southern  provinces. 

There  are  a number  of  view  points  from  which 
it  would  be  interesting  to  consider  quite  at  length 
the  city  of  Pyeng-yang;  but  sufficient,  I think. 


A FORWARD  MOVEMENT 


209 


has  been  mentioned  to  indicate  the  importance  of 
the  city  as  a strategic  point  from  which  to  do 
religious  work.  As  a rather  wonderful  religious 
movement  has  sprung  up  in  this  northern  section 
of  the  country,  it  will  be  well  to  confine  our 
attention  to  the  opening  of  missionary  work  in 
Pyeng-yang  and  its  vicinity. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  Presbyterian  Mission 
(North),  Dr.  Underwood,  on  one  or  two  occasions, 
accompanied  by  Mr.  Appenzeller  of  the  Metho- 
dist Mission,  made  six  different  visits  to  the  city, 
while  on  his  way  to  and  from  Eui-Ju,  in  the 
northwestern  corner  of  the  country,  where  he 
had  work  started.  On  each  of  these  occasions 
he  spent  some  time  in  preaching  and  selling 
Christian  books ; and  at  one  time  he  had  a couple 
of  colporteurs  located  in-  Pyeng-yang.  I may 
further  mention  that  in  those  days  Mr.  Appen- 
zeller also  had  a helper  living  in  the  city.  Upon 
the  departure  of  Dr.  Underwood  to  America,  in 
the  spring  of  1891,  the  work  in  the  north  fell  to 
the  portion  of  Rev.  S.  A.  Moffett.  For  a couple 
of  years  Mr.  Moffett  made  spring  and  fall  trips 
to  Eui-Ju,  spending  some  time  on  each  occasion 
in  Pyeng-yang.  By  1892  the  Presbyterian  Mis- 
sion had  reached  the  conclusion  that  Pyeng-yang, 
in  preference  to  Eui-Ju,  was  the  center  where 
eventually  they  hoped  to  open  their  station  for  the 
work  in  the  north ; and  accordingly  in  the  sum- 
mer of  that  year  Mr.  Moffett  located  his  helper, 
Mr.  HaSr  Sok  Chin,  there  to  do  preliminary 


210  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


work.  Mr.  Moffett’s  policy  was  to  win  his  way 
in  gradually. 

In  February,  1893,  property  was  secured  for 
Mr.  Han,  with  rooms  that  could  be  occupied 
upon  their  visits  by  Mr.  Moffett  and  Rev.  Graham 
Lee,  who  had  joined  him  as  a colleague  in  this 
northern  work.  The  Methodist  Mission,  in  the 
person  of  W.  J.  Hall,  M.D.,  also  bought  build- 
ings at  the  same  time.  While  the  people  of  the 
city  showed  a friendly  disposition,  the  city  magis- 
trate and  his  underlings  disliked  the  presence  of 
foreigners,  and  consequently  stirred  up  trouble. 
Messrs.  Moffett  and  Lee  thought  it  wise  to  give 
way  before  the  storm,  returned  the  property 
bought  for  their  helper  outside  the  city,  and 
quietly  withdrew.  But  it  was  not  long  before 
their  helper,  Mr.  Han,  had  again  bought  prop- 
erty, this  time  inside  the  East  Gate,  near  the 
present  site  of  the  Pyeng-yang  church,  where,  in 
the  fall  of  the  same  year,  Mr.  Moffett  quietly 
returned  to  spend  the  winter,  this  time  being 
quite  unmolested  by  the  officials  of  the  city. 

The  winter  was  spent  by  Mr.  Moffett  and  his 
helper  in  daily  work,  which  could  hardly  be  called 
preaching  so  much  as  familiar  conversation  with 
individuals  or  groups  of  men  wherever  they  met 
them,  whether  in  Mr.  Moffett’s  room,  where  most 
of  the  work  was  done,  or  upon  the  streets  in  and 
around  the  city.  And  the  especial  themes  to 
which  the  conversation  was  ever  brought  around 
were  what  the  Bible  has  to  say  on  sin  and  the 


A FORWARD  MOVEMENT 


211 


personal  need  of  salvation  through  Christ.  And 
it  is  worthy  of  note,  as  one  explanation  of  the 
wide  spread  of  Christian  work  throughout  that 
northern  region,  from  Pyeng-yang  as  a center, 
that  of  those  who  became  Christians,  many, 
whether  from  precept  or  example,  quickly  adopted 
the  spirit  and  methods  of  Mr.  Moffett  and  his 
helper  in  the  constant,  aggressive  “hand-picking” 
of  souls.  Let  it  be  observed  that  the  Holy  Spirit 
ever  continues  to  bless  the  faithful,  persistent, 
personal  presentation  of  the  teachings  of  the  Bible 
upon  these  great  themes  of  sin  and  salvation 
through  the  blood  of  Christ.  There  was  also  a 
wide  sale  and  distribution  of  Scriptures  and  other 
Christian  books.  This  time,  in  short,  was  a 
period  of  widespread  seed-sowing.  Nor  was  this 
all.  Mr.  Moffett  now  commenced  the  systematic 
and  careful  instruction  of  a group  of  “catechu- 
mens,” or  applicants  for  baptism,  that  began  to 
gather  about  them  as  the  result  of  their  evangel- 
istic work.  In  January,  1894,  Mr.  Moffett  had 
the  joy  of  receiving  into  the  church  by  baptism 
seven  men, -and  at  the  same  time  formally  enroll- 
ing as  catechumens  two  others,  one  of  whom,  a 
Mr.  Han,  from  Anak,  in  Whang  Hai  Do,  the 
next  province  to  the  south,  I shall  have  occasion 
to  mention  again  in  referring  to  the  spread  of 
the  work  into  the  northern  part  of  that  province. 
These  men  began  at  once  to  tell  others  what 
they  had  learned  of  the  Gospel  truth.  The  last 
of  April  Mr.  Moffett  returned  to  Seoul. 


212  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


About  the  7th  of  May,  1894,  Dr.  Hall,  of 
the  Methodist  Mission,  with  his  wife,  his  little 
boy  and  his  household  goods,  arrived  in  Pyeng- 
yang,  and  moved  into  the  house  he  had  previously 
purchased.  The  second  night  after  their  arrival 
began  the  persecution  ever  memorable  in  the 
history  of  the  work  in  Pyeng-yang.  Seven  of  the 
native  Christians  were  holding  their  regular 
prayer-meeting  in  the  evening  in  the  room  of 
Mr.  Moffett’s  helper,  Mr.  Han,  when  into,  their 
midst  strode  a number  of  official  servants  of  the 
magistracy  and  proceeded  to  beat  them,  one  of 
the  servants  using  a ragged  piece  of  cord-wood. 
They  then  produced  the  red  cords  used  for  the 
tying  of  criminals,  and  pinioned  their  arms 
behind  their  backs.  They  stated  that  the  order 
had  come  from  the  king  to  kill  them  all  for  being 
Christians.  Then  they  started  with  the  party  for 
the  city  prison,  taking  with  them  from  the  house 
next  door  the  man  who  had  sold  to  Mr.  Han  the 
house  then  occupiedby  him.  On  the  way  all  were  re- 
leased with  the  exception  of  Mr.  Han  and  the  former 
owner  of  the  house,  whom  they  threw  into  prison. 

The  same  night  some  one  brought  word  to  Dr. 
Hall  that  about  one  o’clock  a.  m.  someone  had 
knocked  on  the  window  of  his  helper,  Mr.  Kim 
Chang  Sikie,  saying  that  the  Doctor  had  called  him. 
Mr.  Kim  promptly  opened  the  door,  when  he  was 
seized,  beaten  and  carried  off  to  prison.  The 
owner  of  the  house  bought  by  Dr.  Hall  was  also 
seized  and  imprisoned  the  same  night,  and  the 


A FORWARD  MOVEMENT 


213 


following  forenoon  one  of  the  Methodist  Chris- 
tians was  also  arrested.  Early  that  morning  Dr. 
Hall  went  to  see  the  governor,  but  was  told  that 
he  was  sleeping.  Going  to  the  prison,  he  found 
the  men  with  their  feet  stretched  apart  and 
fastened  in  stocks,  in  such  a manner  as  to  cause 
them  intense  pain.  The  doctor  telegraphed  the 
situation  to  Seoul.  During  the  day  the  prisoners 
were  beaten  and  money  or  promissory  notes  to 
considerable  amounts  were  extorted  from  them 
by  the  brutal  jailers.  A paper  came  from  the 
officials  ordering  Dr.  Hall  out  of  his  house. 
Later  in  the  day  the  doctor  again  sought  an 
interview  with  the  governor;  but  he  refused  to 
see  him  or  'grant  him  any  protection.  In  the 
course  of  the  afternoon  came  telegrams  stating 
that  the  English  and  American  legations  (Dr, 
Hall  was  a British  subject)  would  require  the 
Foreign  Office  to  order  the  release  of  the  men  and 
the  granting  of  protection  to  Dr.  Hall  and  his 
family.  Then  a runner  from  the  magistracy 
appeared,  demanding  the  paper  brought  by  him 
in  the  morning  from  the  officials  ordering  Dr. 
Hall  out  of  his  house.  They  saw  they  had  gone 
too  far  in  assuming  jurisdiction  over  a foreigner. 
The  Doctor  refused  to  give  it.  The  runner 
stamped  about  in  a rage,  and  finally  seized  Dr. 
Hall’s  servant  by  the  top-knot,  beat  him,  kicked 
him,  and  ordered  him  taken  to  prison.  The 
Doctor  then  let  him  have  the  paper,  and  the  man 
went  away  satisfied. 


214  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


Night  settled  down  over  that  harassed  mission- 
ary home  and  the  group  of  tortured,  bleeding 
Christians  in  the  filthy  prison,  and  what  earnest 
prayers  must  have  risen  to  God  that  night  for 
deliverance-  In  the  course  of  the  evening  crash 
came  a great  stone  through  the  paper  window  of 
Mrs.  Hall’s  room.  But  we  are  told  that  God  so 
put  his  peace  into  those  missionary  hearts  that 
they  had  refreshing  sleep.  In  the  morning  the 
water-carriers  were  forbidden  to  bring  water  to 
Dr.  Hall’s  house.  A lying  report  came  to  them 
through  an  official  servant  that  a telegram  had 
come  from  Seoul  stating  that  the  American  and 
English  ministers  had  seen  the  king,  and  as  the 
result  of  the  interview,  among  other  things,  the 
order  had  been  sent  to  the  governor  to  behead  all 
the  Christians.  Dr.  Hall,  on  visiting  the  prison, 
found  that  this  much  was  true — the  prisoners  had 
been  removed  to  the  death  cell,  where  criminals 
soon  to  be  executed  are  confined.  All  day  they 
were  threatened,  beaten  and  tortured  in  the 
stocks.  They  tried  to  make  Kim,  Han  and  the 
other  Christians  renounce  their  Christianity;  but 
with  the  faith  of  the  martyrs  they  steadily  refused. 
Then  to  Dr.  Hall  came  the  rumor  that  the  gov- 
ernor, who,  on  account  of  his  being  a member  of 
the  powerful  Min  family,  to  which  the  queen 
belonged,  did  not  fear  punishment,  was  about 
to  telegraph  to  the  capital  that  these  men  were 
all  Tong  Haks,  or  members  of  the  rebel  party 
then  rising  throughout  the  country. 


A FORWARD  MOVEMENT 


215 


In  Seoul  all  this  news,  as  it  was  telegraphed, 
was  very  disquieting  to  the  missionary  com- 
munity; and  at  five  o’clock  that  afternoon  a 
special  prayer-meeting  of  Methodist  and  Presby- 
terian missionaries  met  at  the  house  of  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Underwood.  In  the  meantime  energetic 
action  was  being  taken  by  the  legations.  The 
British  Consul-General,  Mr.  C.  T.  Gardiner,  now 
in  China,  a diplomat  of  thirty  years’  experience 
in  that  land,  strongly  backed  by  the  former  able 
American  minister,  Mr.  J.  M.  B.  Sill,  brought 
heavy  and  repeated  pressure  to  bear  upon 
the  Foreign  Office,  demanding  the  immediate 
release  of  the  employes  and  Christians,  and 
the  missionaries  had  barely  gotten  home  to 
their  suppers  from  that  prayer-meeting  when  the 
glad  news  came  over  the  wires  that  the  prisoners 
had  been  released.  The  next  morning  at  day- 
break Mr.  Moffett  and  Mr.  McKenzie,  with  chairs 
and  extra  coolies,  started  for  Pyeng-yang,  to 
travel  night  and  day.  But  to  take  up  the  thread 
of  the  story  in  Pyeng-yang.  The  night  previous, 
while  the  men  were  still  in  prison,  word  came 
summoning  them  before  the  acting-magistrate  of 
the  city.  Apparently  it  meant  that  they  were 
to  be  executed.  They  were  brought  before  him 
and  made  to  kneel  in  his  presence.  He  ordered 
them  to  renounce  their  connection  with  the  for- 
eigners, and  to  revile  the  name  of  God.  The  two 
house  owners,  who  made  no  pretensions  to  Chris- 
tianity, gladly  complied;  and  one  Christian,  who 


2i6  every-day  life  IN  KOREA 


had  not  known  the  truth  long,  abjured  his  faith 
under  the  terrible  ordeal.  But  the  two  Christian 
helpers,  with  the  faith  of  a Paul  and  a Stephen, 
refused  to  do  so.  Instead  of  being  led  without 
the  city  to  their  execution,  however,  after  being 
beaten  they  were  released.  As  they  started  to 
go  an  official  servant,  who  had  been  one  of  the 
prime  movers  in  the  persecution,  set  up  the  cry, 
“They  are  all  Christians,  and  no  matter  if  they 
are  killed.”  Thereupon  the  whole  pack  of 
yamen-runners  started  after  them  with  stones. 
Two  of  the  Christians  escaped  down  side  streets 
and  were  not  pursued;  but  Mr.  Kim,  Dr.  Hall’s 
helper,  was  stoned  all  the  way  home,  and  stag- 
gering into  the  presence  of  Dr.  Hall,  sank  to  the 
floor  nearly  lifeless.  Mention  should  be  made 
here  of  a school-teacher  by  the  name  of  Ye,  who 
was  at  that  time  living  in  a village  ten  miles  out 
from  the  city.  He  was  a Christian  and  a friend  of 
Mr.  Han,  the  helper.  While  the  persecution  was 
at  its  height  word  came  to  him  of  what  was 
transpiring  in  Pyeng-yang,  and  he  immediately 
declared  his  intention  of  going  into  the  city.  His 
friends  protested'  that  should  he  do  so  he  was 
liable  to  be  killed.  “I  cannot  help  it, ” was  his 
reply.  “Mr.  Han  is  my  friend,  and  I am  going 
in  to  help  him.  If  Mr.  Han  dies  and  the  need 
should  exist,  I will  die  with  him.”  But  by  the 
time  he  reached  the  city  the  prisoners  had  been 
released.  In  Soon-an,  some  eighteen  miles 
north  of  the  city,  there  previously  had  been  a 


A FORWARD  MOVEMENT 


217 


class  of  twenty  inquirers.  When  news  of  the 
troubles  in  progress  reached  there,  all  but  three 
men  renounced  what  little  faith  they  had,  and  these 
three  hurried  into  the  city  to  learn  the  truth 
regarding  the  disquieting  rumors.  As  these 
men  afterward  did  a notable  work,  mention  will 
be  made  of  them  further  on. 

After  the  release  of  the  prisoners  things  became 
quiet.  Messrs.  Moffett  and  McKenzie  presently 
appeared  upon  the  scene  and  entered  upon  an 
investigation  of  the  affair.  The  authorities  were 
temporarily  cowed.  Dr.  Scranton,  of  the  Metho- 
dist Mission,  arrived  later,  and  Dr.  Hall  and  fam- 
ily, under  the  instructions  of  the  British  Consul- 
General,  withdrew  with  him  to  Seoul.  Mr. 
McKenzie  also  took  his  departure.  Few  people 
outside  of  the  Christians  were  coming  to  see  Mr. 
Moffett  and  his  helper. 

It  was.  drawing  into  the  heat  of  June  and  the 
yamen-runners  were  still  muttering  their  threats, 
when,  partly  to  get  a change  from  the  stifling 
city,  partly  to  look  after  country  work,  and  partly 
to  see  what  would  be  done  by  the  authorities  in 
his  absence,  Mr.  Moffett  paid  a visit  of  a week  to 
Anak,  in  the  next  province  south,  where  he  stayed 
holding  meetings  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Han,  men- 
tioned above  as  a promising  catechumen.  After 
his  return  the  people  about  the  magistracy,  find- 
ing that  no  further  notice  had  been  taken  in  Seoul 
of  their  maltreatment  of  people  in  the  employ  of 
the  foreigners,  became  emboldened,  and  threat- 


2i8  every-day  life  IN  KOREA 


ened  openly  to  kill  all  the  Christians  in  Pyeng- 
yang  as  soon  as  Mr.  Moffett  left,  and  sometimes 
going  so  far  as  to  threaten  the  life  of  Mr.  Moffett 
himself. 

About  this  time  came  the  opening  of  the 
Chino- Japanese  war.  The  news  of  the  occupation 
of  the  capital  and  the  taking  of  the  palace  by 
Japanese  troops  created  a perfect  panic  among 
the  citizens  of  Pyeng-yang.  The  Christians  alone 
were  calm  and  went  boldly  about  the  city  urging 
men  to  put  their  trust  in  God.  People  kept  com- 
ing to  Mr.  Moffett  for  the  news.  Women 
thronged  the  quarters  of  helper  Han’s  family  as  a 
refuge  from  their  fears.  It  was  so  quiet  and 
peaceful  there,  they  said,  while  outside  all  was 
wailing  and  confusion.  This  peaceful  frame  of 
mind  of  the  Christians  made  a considerable 
impression  upon  the  people  of  Pyeng-yang.  It 
was  now  becoming  really  dangerous  for  Mr. 
Moffett  to  be  away  from  the  capital ; but  so  long 
as  the  threat  of  death  hung  over  the  Christians, 
he  felt  it  wrong  to  leave  them.  The  American 
minister  now  brought  such  pressure  to  bear  upon 
the  Foreign  Office  that  the  authorities  in  Pyeng- 
yang  were  compelled  to  refund  all  the  money 
that  had  been  extorted  from  the  prisoners  and 
all  the  expenditures  necessitated  in  telegraphing 
and  in  special  trips  to  and  from  the  capital, 
amounting  to  500  yen  (about  $250),  which 
amount  was  paid  by  Governor  Min ; and  a form 
of  punishment  was  inflicted  upon  the  three  men 


A FORWARD  MOVEMENT 


219 


most  guilty,  or  their  substitutes.  This  broke  the 
back  of  the  opposition,  and  no  more  threats 
were  heard.  News  of  this  vindication  of  the 
rights  of  the  missionary  and  his  employes  spread 
all  over  the  country,  and,  if  the  expression  may 
be  allowed,  stock  in  his  religion  showed  an 
upward  tendency. 

Soon  after  this  the  Chinese  army  poured  into 
Pyeng-yang.  The  position  of  Mr.  Moffett  had 
become  precarious.  Although  he  did  not  know 
it,  only  a short  time  previous  Rev.  James  Wylie, 
a Scotch  Presbyterian  missionary,  had  been  mur- 
dered in  Manchuria  by  these  same  troops.  He 
remained  close  in  his  room.  His  servant  brought 
in  word  that  Japanese  heads  were  impaled 
above  the  city  gates,  and  all  with  their  hair  cut, 
even  to  Korean  Buddhist  priests,  were  being 
beheaded  on  suspicion  of  being  spies.  Presently 
the  Korean  Christians  held  a prayer-meeting, 
and  at  its  close  adjourned  in  a body  to  urge  Mr. 
Moffett  to  leave  the  city,  as  his  presence  there 
was  now  no  longer  necessary  to  their  safety. 
That  night  he  called  in  the  Chinese  telegraph 
operator,  who  knew  him,  and  through  his  media- 
tion procured  an  interview  with  the  Chinese  gen- 
eral, as  the  result  of  which  the  general  gave 
orders  to  put  up  a notice  granting  protection  to 
the  “Christian  chapel,’’  and  detailed  a squad  of 
soldiers  who  escorted  him  on  his  way  to  the  capital 
and  incidentally  seized  a city  farther  south,  from 
which  point  the  party  proceeded  unattended. 


220  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


Mr.  Moffett’s  first  contact  with  the  Japanese 
lines  nearly  proved  disastrous.  His  party  was 
crossing  a stone  bridge  in  the  dusk  of  the  even- 
ing, when  suddenly  out  of  a neighboring  house 
rushed  four  Japanese  soldiers,  who  in  an  instant 
of  time,  with  a click,  click,  click,  click,  brought 
to  bear  their  guns  upon  the  party.  Needless  to 
say,  the  company  stopped  short,  in  danger  of 
being  shot  for  Chinese  scouts.  The  faces  of  the 
guard  wore  a look  of  astonishment,  over  the 
barrels  of  their  guns,  as  the  tall  form  of  Mr. 
Moffett,  crowned  by  a tall,  white,  pith  hat, 
loomed  up  out  of  the  chair  in  which  he  had  been 
riding.  A parley  was  held.  Their  officer  was 
called,  and  then  his  interpreter,  who  happily 
proved  a Japanese  druggist  from  Pyeng-yang, 
who  knew  Mr.  Moffett.  As  the  result  of  his 
mediation  a pass  was  procured  which  enabled 
the  party  to  proceed  through  the  lines  in  safety 
to  Seoul. 

His  remaining  thus  with  the  Christians  in 
Pyeng-yang  until  the  last  moment,  while  person- 
ally dangerous  to  himself,  was  no  doubt  in  the 
end  a help  to  the  work,  inasmuch  as  it  gave  Mr. 
Moffett  a powerful  hold  upon  the  affections  of 
those  for  whom  he  had  ventured  so  much. 
From  the  time  of  the  occupation  of  Pyeng-yang 
by  the  Chinese  troops  a large  portion  of  its  citi- 
zens fled  to  the  country,  among  others  the  fam- 
ilies of  Christians.  These  few  Christians,  in 
preparing  their  loads  to  go  by  boat,  or  making  up 


A FORWARD  MOVEMENT 


221 


the  packs  they  were  to  sling  upon  their  backs, 
invariably  put  in  a parcel  of  Christian  books. 
Then,  in  the  villages  to  which  they  went,  they 
followed  the  method  they  had  seen  pursued  in 
Pyeng-yang,  and  preached  the  Gospel  to  every 
man  they  met,  with  the  result  that  in  those  vil- 
lages a number  of  people  were  converted,  and 
still  more  became  inquirers.  Nor  was  this  all. 
The  three  men  mentioned  above  as  inquirers  in 
Soon-an,  eighteen  miles  north  from  the  city, 
went  out  preaching  the  truth  in  the  villages  all 
around  their  home;  and  a Mr.  Ye,  of  Pyeng- 
yang,  who  died  subsequently  of  cholera,  having 
taken  refuge,  with  his  family,  from  the  alarms  of 
war  with  Mr.  Han,  of  Anak,  in  the  Whang  Hai 
province,  seventy  miles  from  the  city,  he,  in  com- 
pany with  Mr.  Han,  went  all  through  the  region 
round  about  proclaiming  the  message  of  the 
Gospel.  From  the  work  done  at  this  time  in 
these  two  regions  to  the  north  and  south  of 
Pyeng-yang  began  the  movements  which  have 
added  so  many  believers  and  inquirers  in  the 
villages  of  those  respective  districts. 

Fifteen  days  after  the  battle,  Messrs.  Hall,  Lee, 
and  Moffett  returned  to  Pyeng-yang.  A pitiful 
sight  met  their  eyes.  Large  portions  of  the  cit}^ 
had  been  laid  waste ; on  the  plains  round  about 
and  here  and  there  through  the  city  were  strewn 
the  dead  bodies  of  Chinese  soldiers  and  horses. 
Mr.  Moffett’s  quarters  they  found  had  been  looted 
by  Japanese,  while  Dr.  Hall’s  property  and  goods 


222 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


were  intact,  having  been  protected  first  by  the 
Chinese  and  latterly  by  a Christian  Japanese 
doctor,  whom  they  found  in  possession.  The 
Japanese  troops  still  occupied  the  city.  The  news 
of  the  arrival  of  the  missionaries  spread  through 
the  surrounding  country  in  an  incredibly  short 
space  of  time,  and  large  numbers  of  men  with 
nothing  but  a little  bundle  slung  over  their  backs 
came  flocking  into  the  city,  invariably  paying  first 
a visit  to  the  missionaries  and  inquiring,  “Is  it 
safe?”  and  “What  is  the  news?”  before  returning 
to  their  ruined  homes.  For  some  time  thereafter 
the  movements  of  the  missionaries  were  watched 
with  breathless  interest,  and  the  day  they 
returned  to  Seoul  a large  number  of  men  packed 
up  their  little  bundles  and  left  the  city,  too,  so 
timorous  were  they  and  such  confidence  did  they 
place  in  the  judgment  of  the  foreigner.  The 
missionaries  were  astonished  at  the  heartiness  of 
the  welcome  they  received  upon  this  visit  from 
Koreans  of  every  class.  Even  men  who  had 
before  opposed  them  now  showed  a friendly  spirit. 
Previously,  the  attitude  of  mind  of  the  people  of 
the  city  had  been  rather  distant  and  suspicious ; 
but  now,  in  the  light  of  the  sufferings  they  had 
experienced  during  the  war,  their  eyes  were 
opened  to  recognize  the  disinterestedness  of  the 
missionaries.  Universally  they  seemed  to  have 
come  to  believe  that  they  were  the  friends  of  the 
people,  persons  in  whom  they  could  put  their 
trust,  and  from  that  day  to  this  the  missionaries 


A FORWARD  MOVEMENT 


223 


have  experienced  nothing  but  the  utmost  cordi- 
ality in  Pyeng-yang  upon  the  part  of  the  Koreans. 
The  change  of  attitude  was  especially  noticeable 
in  the  inquirers  who  from  this  time  kept  coming 
to  them  in  ever-increasing  numbers.  It  is,  per- 
haps, needless  to  say  that  the  fullest  advantage  of 
their  opportunities  was  taken  by  both  the  mission- 
aries and  the  Christians  in  pressing  home  the 
truths  of  the  Gospel.  During  their  visit  in  Sep- 
tember, 1894,  Messrs.  Lee  and  Moffett  repur- 
chased the  property  which  gave  them  such  an 
excellent  location  and  ample  building  space  out- 
side the  city  gate,  and  which,  as  mentioned  above, 
they  had  returned  to  the  original  owners  a year 
before.  After  a stay  of  one  month  in  the 
pestilential  city,  the  party  returned  to  Seoul,  and 
it  was  on  the  Japanese  transport  steamer  going 
back  that  the  noble-hearted  Dr.  Hall  developed 
typhus  fever,  from  the  effects  of  which  he  passed 
to  his  reward  a few  days  after  his  arrival  in  the 
capital. 

Messrs.  Lee  and  Moffett  returned  in  January, 
1895.  This  marked  the  permanent  settlement  of 
the  station  in  Pyeng-yang,  although  it  was  not 
until  May  of  the  following  year  that,  suitable 
quarters  having  been  prepared,  they  were  joined 
by  Mr.  Lee’s  family,  when  women’s  work  received 
an  impetus  through  the  coming  of  Mrs.  Lee,  and 
meetings  for  women  were  begun.  Mr.  Moffett 
and  Mr.  Lee  now  settled  down  to  their  regular 
work,  which  consisted  of  daily  informal  conver- 


224  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


sation  with  inquirers,  instruction  of  Christians, 
the  holding  of  regular  services,  wide  circulation  of 
Christian  literature  and  frequent  journeys  to  the 
surrounding  country  in  following  up  the  work  of 
native  Christians  and  gathering  in  the  fruits  from 
their  seed-sowing.  From  that  time  until  the  pres- 
ent the  spread  of  the  spirit  of  inquiry  through  the 
city  and  in  ever- widening  circles  throughout  the 
surrounding  country  has  been  something  remark- 
able ; and  one  of  the  most  interesting  features  has 
been  that  each  new  convert  has  been  seized  with 
the  spirit  of  the  movement,  and  from  the  time  of 
his  conversion  has  become  an  active  agent  in 
the  spread  of  the  truth  among  his  neighbors  and 
friends.  And  so  the  work  has  grown  until  the 
mission  workers  in  the  station  find  their  strength 
taxed  to  the  utmost  for  the  proper  guidance  of 
the  movement  and  the  suitable  instruction  of  the 
inquirers.  To  be  sure,  the  station  has  grown 
somewhat;  but  the  reinforcements  are  mostly 
new  missionaries,  handicapped  by  their  lack  of 
knowledge  of  the  language.  Since  the  summer 
of  1895  they  have  had  for  a colleague  J.  Hunter 
Wells,  M.D.,  who,  in  his  commodious  hospital, 
by  his  medical  skill,  has  added  material  strength 
to  the  work.  Last  year  they  were  joined  by  Rev. 
N.  C.  Whitmore,  and  the  bride  of  Dr.  Wells; 
and  this  year  by  Rev.  W.  B.  Hunt  and  Miss 
Margaret  Best,  and  the  pressure  of  the  work  was 
felt  to  be  so  great  that  this  fall  Rev.  and  Mrs. 
W.  M.  Baird  were  detached  from  other  work  and 


A Display  of  Brass  Ware. 


A FORWARD  MOVEMENT 


225 


sent  to  Pyeng-yang.  All  this  looks  to  the  open- 
ing of  new  stations  in  closer  contact  with  the  out- 
lying work.  Nor  have  our  brethren  of  the 
northern  Methodist  Mission  been  idle;  for  their 
mission  station  in  Pyeng-yang  has  been  reopened, 
with  Dr.  and  Mrs.  E.  D.  Follwell  and  Rev.  and 
Mrs.  W.  A.  Noble  in  charge. 

In  was  in  December,  1895,  that  Messrs.  Lee  and 
Moffett  were  holding  their  winter  class  of  a month 
for  the  training  of  their  leaders  from  the  country 
villages,  and  of  the  helpers  of  the  missionaries, 
and  were  taking  them  through  a couple  of  the 
books  of  the  New  Testament,  seeking  at  the 
same  time  to  ground  them  in  the  faith  and  to 
stimulate  their  zeal  for  Christian  work.  Mrs. 
Isabella  Bird  Bishop,  the  distinguished  traveler 
and  authoress,  happened  at  that  time  to  visit 
Pyeng-yang,  and  what  she  saw  of  the  winter 
elass  and  of  the  Christian  work  in  general  in  the 
eity  made  a deep  impression  upon  her.  She  has 
thus  expressed  herself  with  her  gifted  pen : 

“I  am  bound  to  say  that  the  needs  of  Korea,  or 
rather  the  openings  in  Korea,  have  come  to  occupy 
a very  outstanding  place  in  my  thoughts.  * * * 

The  Pyeng-yang  work  which  I saw  last  winter, 
and  which  is  still  going  on  in  much  the  same  way, 
is  the  most  impressive  mission  work  I have  seen 
in  any  part  of  the  world.  It  shows  that  the 
Spirit  of  God  still  moves  on  the  earth,  and  that 
the  old  truths  of  sin,  judgment  to  come,  of  the 
divine  justice  and  love,  of  the  atonement,  and  of 


226  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


the  necessity  for  holiness,  have  the  same  power  as 
in  the  apostolic  days  to  transform  the  lives  of 
men.  What  I saw  and  heai*d  there  has  greatly 
strengthened  my  own  faith. 

“Now  a door  is  opened  wide  in  Korea,  how  wide 
only  those  can  know  who  are  on  the  spot.  Very 
many  are  prepared  to  renounce  devil-worship  and 
to  worship  the  true  God  if  only  they  are  taught 
how,  and  large  numbers  more  who  have  heard 
and  received  the  Gospel  are  earnestly  craving  to 
be  instructed  in  its  rules  of  holy  living.  * * 

“I  dread  indescribably  that  unless  many  men 
and  women  experienced  in  winning  souls  are  sent 
speedily,  the  door  which  the  church  declines  to 
enter  will  close  again,  and  that  the  last  state  of 
Korea  will  be  worse  that  the  first.’’ 

Since  the  visit  of  Mrs.  Bishop  to  Pyeng-yang,  in 
the  winter  of  1895,  when  what  she  saw  impressed 
her  so  much,  the  work  of  the  church  in  that  city 
has  had  a still  more  remarkable  development. 
The  membership  within  that  time  has  increased 
many  fold,  and  the  church  building  has  had  to  be 
enlarged  four  times  to  meet  the  needs  of  the 
growing  congregation,  which  is  now  so  large  that 
the  preaching  services  for  the  men  and  women 
on  the  Sabbath  have  had  to  be  held  separately 
of  late,  simply  because  the  edifice  will  not  con- 
tain them  all  at  one  and  the  same  time.  Secre- 
tary Robert  E.  Speer  and  Mr.  W.  H.  Grant, 
making  a tour  of  our  Presbyterian  missions,  in 
the  summer  of  1897  visited  Pyeng-yang,  and  care- 


A FORWARD  MOVEMENT 


227 


fully  studied  the  work.  Mr.  Speer  has  thus 
expressed  the  impressions  that  were  made  upon 
him:  “After  making  all  the  necessary  qualifica- 
tions to  cover  the  superficial,  imitative  and  secular 
Christians,  and  those  who  have  come  to  Christ 
without  knowing  what  it  means  and  who  will  drop 
away  when  they  learn ; after  making  these  reser- 
vations, I am  ready  to  say  that  I met  in  few 
places  in  the  world  Christians  so  eager  and  intel- 
ligent, with  such  fresh  spiritual  experiences,  with 
such  simple,  practical  faith,  with  minds  so  alert 
and  quickened  by  the  Gospel.  Our  stay  at 
Pyeng-yang  was  very  much  like  a week  or  fort- 
night at  a summer  Bible  school  in  America. 
Every  day,  helpers  unpaid  by  the  mission  came  in 
from  the  country  to  tell  of  fresh  progress  and 
new  congregations.  There  were  no  requests  for 
financial  help.  * * * day  we  left  Pyeng- 

yang,  thirty  or  forty  of  the  native  Christians 
went  with  us  through  the  rain  many  miles  into 
the  country.  We  besought  them  to  return  home. 
'No/  they  said,  ‘you  have  come  many  thousands 
of  miles  to  see  us;  it  is  a small  matter  that  we 
should  walk  a few  miles  with  you.’  And  so  they 
went  with  us  until  we  came  to  a little  thatched 
church  by  the  roadside,  where,  in  the  drizzling 
rain  they  held  a farewell  meeting  for  us,  thank- 
ing God  for  our  visit,  and  commending  us  to  His 
love  and  care.  It  made  us  feel  like  Paul  and  his 
company,  when  the  elders  of  Ephesus  came  down 
to  take  farewell  of  them  at  Miletus;  and  when  a 


228  EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  KOREA 


turn  of  the  road  hid  the  little  company  from  our 
sight,  we  went  on  our  way,  thanking  God,  and  I 
frankly  say  with  new  faith  and  courage.  It  did 
me  more  good  than  all  the  books  on  apologetics  I 
ha,d  ever  read.  ” 

• To  understand  the  growth  and  present  status  of 
the  work  in  the  north  of  Korea,  a few  statistics 
may  be  in  order.  In  the  spring  of  1894,  in 
Pyeng-yang  and  its  vicinity  there  were  10  bap- 
tized members  of  the  church,  with  perhaps  40 
catechumens.  To  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
Presbyterian  Mission  in'  October,  1895,  there 
were  reported  an  addition  of  21  baptized  mem- 
bers and  180  catechumens,  with  two  church  build- 
ings, one  wholly  and  one  partially  provided  by 
the  Korean  Christians,  also  two  more  churches 
under  way.  In  October,  1896,  for  the  same 
region  there  were  reported  to  the  mission  an  addi- 
tion of  136  baptized  members  and  480  catechu- 
mens. 

Including  the  work  in  the  extreme  north, 
centering  in  Eui-Ju,  the  enrollment  of  the  whole 
station  in  the  same  year,  1896,  was  207  members 
and  503  catechumens,  with  22  preaching-places 
and  contributions  from  the  native  congregations 
amounting  to  325  yen.  Seven  more  church  build- 
ings were  provided  wholly  or  with  slight  help  by 
the  Korean  Christians.  In  September,  1897, 
reports  from  the  station  showed  further  advance 
as  follows:  There  were  377  members  and  1,723 
catechumens,  also  * 69  preaching-places,  and  a 


A FORWARD  MOVEMENT 


229 


partial  report  of  money  contributed  amounting  to 
517  yen.  Also  14  new  church  buildings  had  been 
provided,  through  the  efforts  of  the  Korean 
Christians.  One  word  of  Scripture  explains  this 
whole  movement: 

“The  Gospel  is  the  power  of  God  unto  sal- 

9 9 


VATION. 


APPENDIX  A.— MISSION  STATISTICS  FOR  KOREA,  1896. 


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APPENDIX  B. 


Statistics  of  the  Northern  Presbyterian  Mission,  1897. 

Meeting  Places loi 

Communicants 932 

Catechumens 2344 

Added  by  Confession  ( 1 1 months) 347 

Sabbath  Schools 18 

Sabbath-school  Scholars 1139 

Church  Buildings 38 

Separate  School  Buildings 7 

Students  in  Special  Bible  Training loi 

Boys  in  Boarding  Schools 35 

Girls  in  Boarding  Schools 38 

Day  Schools  15 

Boys  in  Day  Schools 141 

Girls  in  Day  Schools 25 

Christian  Pupils  in  Schools 33 

United  During  Eleven  Months 16 

Total  Native  Contributions  (partial  report)... $971. 12  (yen) 


23X 


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